Tropical Storm Debby is taking a breather over the western Atlantic but has not yet completely inundated the coasts of the Carolinas before slowly moving north, the National Hurricane Center said. It still poses a “major flooding threat” for parts of the Carolinas.
Debby was slowly drifting The storm made landfall off the coast of South Carolina early Wednesday morning, moving northeast at just 4 mph while lingering 50 miles southeast of Charleston and 90 miles east of Savannah, Ga. A second South Carolina storm was forecast to make landfall Wednesday night or Thursday morning.
“A faster northward and north-northeastward movement across the Carolinas and the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region is expected Thursday and Friday,” the hurricane center said in a warning.
The storm had sustained winds of 45 mph early Wednesday, but forecasters warned that Debby could strengthen slightly before reaching the South Carolina coast.
“Weakening is expected to begin on Thursday after the center moves inland,” they said.
Debby could move through central North Carolina, through Virginia and into the Washington area by Saturday, the center added.
NOAA/National Hurricane Center
“Tropical cyclones always bring heavy rains, but they don’t usually concentrate that much in one place when they’re moving,” said Richard Pasch of the hurricane center. “But when they’re moving very slowly, that’s the worst situation.”
Meteorologists say there will also be breaks in rain between the bands around the center of the poorly organized storm, while there will be dry periods between the bands. However, some bands will be strong and will pass over the same locations repeatedly.
As Debby swirls off the coast, heavy rain is expected to move into parts of South and North Carolina that are already two billion dollars floods in eight years.
The Hurricane Center in Miami said Debby “is expected to bring an additional 3 to 9 inches of rainfall, more locally, resulting in maximum rainfall totals of up to 25 inches in South Carolina and 15 inches in southeastern North Carolina. This will extend the area of significant flooding across portions of South Carolina and southeastern North Carolina through Friday.”
“From the Piedmont in South Carolina northward across parts of Virginia, 3 to 7 inches, locally up to 10 inches, are expected through Friday,” forecasters said. “This rainfall is likely to cause significant flash flooding and urban flooding in areas, with river flooding possible.”
From Maryland through upstate New York to Vermont, up to 6 inches (150 mm) of rain is expected by Saturday morning, which could cause sudden flash flooding as well as urban and river flooding.
The slowly moving storm soaked coastal towns in Georgia and South Carolina Monday evening into Tuesday, spawned tornadoes and flooded streets with waist-deep water.
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Several areas along the North Carolina coast are vulnerable to floodingsuch as Wilmington and the Outer Banks. Virginia could experience strong winds, heavy rains, and flooding, among other things.
Rainfall in some areas of the Carolinas could rival that of the historic flooding caused by Hurricane Matthew in 2016. Two years later, many of those records were broken during Hurricane Florence. Both storms left dozens dead.
Debby’s rain is blamed for the deaths of at least five people – four in Florida, including two children – and one in Georgia.
According to PowerOutage.us, around 44,000 customers in Florida were still without power early Wednesday.
Charleston and Savannah were flooded until Tuesday, with curfews imposed and streets closed by police. Dozens of streets in the city of Charleston were closed due to flooding, which occurs several times a year due to rising sea levels.
In one Savannah neighborhood, firefighters evacuated some residents by boat and waded through the floodwaters to bring bottled water and other supplies to those who refused to leave.
Michael Jones said water entered his home Monday night, knocking over the refrigerator and floating furniture. Outside, the water seemed to be everywhere and was too deep to escape safely. So Jones spent a sleepless night at his kitchen table before firefighters, who went door-to-door, arrived by boat Tuesday morning.
“The whole night was hell,” Jones said.
In Charleston, Mayor William Cogswell said the road closures prevented unnecessary damage to businesses and homes and avoided flood rescue efforts.
“The last thing we need is for idiots to drive through the water and cause property damage,” Cogswell said.
Both North Carolina and Virginia have declared states of emergency.
“The impacts of Debby are far-reaching and our neighboring states face significant challenges,” said Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin.
Green Pond in rural Colleton County, South Carolina, reported its highest rainfall yet, just over 14 inches (350 mm). A nearby dam flooded but did not collapse, while trees and washed-out water blocked several roads, said David Greene, deputy chief of the county’s fire department.
From Charleston to Savannah, nearly 30 centimeters fell down the coast, with the National Weather Service reporting 17.9 centimeters on Monday alone. That’s already a monthly average on a single day: In all of August 2023, the city recorded 14.1 centimeters.
Tornadoes downed trees and damaged some homes on Kiawah Island and Edisto Island.
The Crooked Hammock Brewery in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, has decided to close early on Tuesday.
“Flash floods are extremely unpredictable and we would rather have our employees and guests safe at home,” said Marketing Coordinator Georgena Dimitriadis.
Further north in New York City, severe storms, which meteorologists said were exacerbated by Debby, flooded some streets and highways, stranding motorists. The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for the entire city until noon Wednesday.
Emergency officials warned of possible flash floods and flew drones with loudspeakers in some New York neighborhoods to warn people in basement apartments to be ready to evacuate at any time.
On Monday, about 500 people were rescued from flooded homes in Sarasota, Florida, police said. North of Sarasota, Manatee County officials said more than 200 people were rescued.
Officials said it could take two weeks to fully assess damage in parts of north-central Florida while they wait for river flooding.
“The tributaries will rise. That’s just inevitable. How much? We’ll see,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Tuesday. “It may not flood today, but it could flood tomorrow.”
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp also warned of further rain and flooding, saying: “Don’t let this storm lull you into complacency.”
President Biden approved emergency declarations and provided federal disaster assistance to Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
Debby landed as Category 1 hurricane along Florida’s Gulf Coast early Monday before weakening to a tropical storm.
