Tropical Storm Debby Gains Strength, Aims for South Carolina Landfall

Tropical Storm Debby has gained strength while moving offshore, bringing heavy rain and preparing for an expected landfall in South Carolina. The storm's approach has raised concerns about potential flooding, strong winds, and safety precautions. Authorities urge residents to stay informed and take necessary measures to protect themselves as Debby nears the coastline.

Tropical Storm Debby is taking a break over the western Atlantic but is not finished soaking the coastal Carolinas before it slowly heads north, according to the National Hurricane Center. It still poses a "major flood threat" to parts of the Carolinas.

Debby remained just offshore of South Carolina early Wednesday evening, stationed 40 miles southeast of Charleston and 75 miles southwest of Myrtle Beach. A second landfall in South Carolina was anticipated by Wednesday night or Thursday morning.

"A faster motion toward the north and north-northeast across the Carolinas and the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region is expected on Thursday and Friday," the hurricane center stated in an advisory. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph late Wednesday morning — an increase from the 45 mph winds reported earlier in the day — but the intensity leveled off as Debby slowed down even more. It was moving north at 3 miles per hour as of 8 p.m. EDT, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Forecasters noted that Debby could strengthen again before reaching the South Carolina coast. However, despite the warm coastal waters that would typically fuel it offshore, any strengthening was expected to be moderate due to Debby's disorganized state. The storm was expected to weaken on Thursday after moving inland.

Debby might travel up the middle of North Carolina, through Virginia, and into the Washington area by Saturday, the hurricane center said. As it accelerates on its northeastward path later in the week, forecasters expect Debby to merge with a frontal zone farther up the coast — crossing an atmospheric boundary into a different air mass — and become an extratropical cyclone, bringing rain to places as far north as upstate New York and Vermont.

A tropical cyclone is a general term that includes tropical depressions, tropical storms, and hurricanes, which vary based on their strength. An extratropical cyclone can range from as weak as a tropical depression to as strong as a tropical storm, but unlike tropical cyclones, they are cold at the core and thus can't rapidly develop into a hurricane.

"Tropical cyclones always produce heavy rain, but normally as they're moving, it doesn't accumulate that much in one place," said Richard Pasch of the hurricane center. "But when they move very slowly, that's the worst situation." There will be breaks in the rain as dry spells appear between bands around the center of the poorly organized storm, forecasters said. However, some bands will be heavy and continue to move over the same areas.

As Debby lingers just offshore, heavy rain is expected to move into parts of South and North Carolina that have already experienced two billion-dollar floods in eight years. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said at a news conference Wednesday that 350 National Guard members had been activated and 17 water rescue teams mobilized as the state prepares for Debby's arrival. Echoing forecasters' warnings, Cooper noted that the storm and its impacts were expected to come slowly and gradually, likely causing severe flash flooding with the potential for storm surge and tornadoes.

Most of eastern North Carolina was under either a storm watch or warning, and some voluntary evacuations were underway, the governor said. Central parts of North Carolina were bracing for up to 10 inches of rainfall, while southeastern areas were preparing for as much as 15 inches.

The Miami-based hurricane center said Debby "is expected to produce an additional 3 to 9 inches of rainfall with locally higher amounts, leading to maximum storm total amounts as high as 25 inches in South Carolina and 15 inches in southeast North Carolina, broadening the area of considerable flooding across portions of South Carolina and southeast North Carolina through Friday."

"From the Piedmont of South Carolina northward across portions of Virginia, 3 to 7 inches with local amounts to 10 inches are expected through Friday," forecasters said. "This rainfall will likely result in areas of considerable flash and urban flooding, with river flooding possible."

Up to 6 inches of rain are expected from Maryland through Upstate New York and Vermont through Saturday morning, which could lead to flash, urban, and river flooding. The slow-moving storm drenched coastal cities in Georgia and South Carolina late Monday into Tuesday, stirring up tornadoes and submerging streets with waist-high floodwaters. Several areas along North Carolina's coastline, such as Wilmington and the Outer Banks, are prone to flooding. Virginia could experience strong winds, heavy rains, and flooding.

Rain totals in some areas of the Carolinas could approach those seen during Hurricane Matthew in 2016. Two years later, many of those records were broken during Hurricane Florence. Both storms resulted in dozens of deaths. Rain from Debby is being blamed for the deaths of at least five people — four in Florida, including two children, and one in Georgia.

About 25,000 customers were still without power in Florida on Wednesday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.us. Charleston and Savannah were deluged into Tuesday, with curfews imposed and roads blocked by police. Dozens of roads were closed in Charleston due to flooding similar to what the city experiences several times a year because of rising sea levels. In one Savannah neighborhood, firefighters used boats to evacuate some residents and waded through floodwaters to deliver bottled water and other supplies to those who refused to leave.

Michael Jones said water surged into his home Monday evening, overturning the refrigerator and causing furniture to float. Outside, the water was too deep to flee safely. Jones spent a sleepless night on his kitchen table before firefighters going door-to-door came by boat Tuesday morning.

"It was hell all night," Jones said.

In Charleston, Mayor William Cogswell said the road closures have prevented unnecessary damage to businesses and homes and avoided the need for any high-water rescues. "We especially don't need any yahoos driving through the water and causing damage to properties," Cogswell said.

North Carolina and Virginia have both declared states of emergency. "The effects of Debby are far-reaching, and our neighboring states are facing significant challenges," Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said. Green Pond in rural Colleton County, South Carolina, reported the most rain so far, just over 14 inches. A nearby dam had water run over its top but didn't fail, while trees and washouts blocked several roads, county Fire-Rescue Assistant Chief David Greene said.

Close to a foot of rain fell from Charleston to Savannah, where the National Weather Service reported 6.68 inches on Monday alone. That's already a month's worth of rain in a single day: In all of August 2023, the city received 5.56 inches. Tornadoes knocked down trees and damaged a few homes on Kiawah Island and Edisto Island.

Crooked Hammock Brewery in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, decided to close early Tuesday. "Flash flooding is super unpredictable, and we'd rather our staff and guests be home and safe," marketing coordinator Georgena Dimitriadis said. Far to the north in New York City, heavy storms that meteorologists said were being enhanced by Debby flooded some streets and expressways, stranding motorists. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch until noon Wednesday for the entire city.

Emergency officials warned of potential flash flooding, flying drones with loudspeakers in some New York City neighborhoods to tell people in basement apartments to be ready to flee at a moment's notice. About 500 people were rescued Monday from flooded homes in Sarasota, Florida, police said. Just north of Sarasota, Manatee County officials said more than 200 people were rescued.

Officials said it may take two weeks to fully assess the damage in parts of north-central Florida as they wait for rivers to crest. "You're going to see the tributaries rise. That's just inevitable. How much? We'll see," Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday. "It may be that it's not flooded today and it could be flooded tomorrow." Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also warned of more rain and flooding to come, saying, "Do not let this storm lull you to sleep." President Biden approved emergency declarations, making federal disaster assistance available to Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.

Debby made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane early Monday along the Gulf Coast of Florida before weakening into a tropical storm.

For questions or comments write to writers@bostonbrandmedia.com

Source: CBSNews‍