Debby by the Numbers: Floods, Rain, Tornadoes And More

In Debby's week-long tenure along the eastern United States, it caused more than a billion dollars in damages along the Atlantic Seaboard and was directly responsible for the deaths of at least 9 people.

Hurricane Debby became a tropical depression on August 3rd and then a tropical storm soon after. It intensified as it moved north through the Gulf of Mexico and became a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall near Steinhatchee, Fla. on the morning of Aug. 5. Click the link below for a time lapse of Debby from inception to dissipation. Time lapse via NOAA.

Debby was the second hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, following the deadly and devastating Hurricane Beryl. Debby, which formed Aug. 2, was also quite early: on average, the second Atlantic hurricane usually forms on Aug. 26, according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach.

After moving inland over northern Florida, Debby dragged along the southeast and moved back over the ocean off the coast of South Carolina on Aug. 6. Around 2 a.m. on Aug. 8, Debby made a second landfall near Bulls Bay, South Carolina, with sustained winds near 50 mph. Debby dumped over a foot of rain in some parts of the Coastal Empire and Low country and caused major flooding, especially inland areas.

On Friday, Aug. 9, more than 35 million people from South Carolina to Vermont were under flood watches or warnings. In Berkeley County, South Carolina, as much as 14 inches of rain fell in one week, while Charleston recorded rainfall totals as high as 15 inches. During a five-day period, dozens of cities and towns across South Carolina saw rainfall totals of more than a foot. In the town of Summerville saw 18.25 inches according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Debby dumped over 10 inches of rain over many areas of the Carolinas. The peak rainfall tally was 22.02 inches near Moncks Corner, South Carolina, which was the second highest rainfall total from any tropical cyclone on record in the Palmetto State.

Debby’s strong winds toppled trees, damaged property, and left more than 300,000 customers without power from Florida to the Carolinas. Debby’s peak wind gusts were strong tropical storm strength. The highest gust was reported in Folly Beach, SC with a peak gust near 63 miles per hour.

Several South Carolina communities experienced massive river flooding as well and nearly historic rains that pushed river waters up and over into many low lying areas. Power outages extended to hundreds of thousands of people.

Debby then lingered in the East with flooding, destructive severe weather and some damaging wind gusts from South Carolina to as far north as New York with numerous destructive tornadoes along its path.

More than 16,000 insurance claims have been filed since Debby made landfall. Hurricane Debby’s economic hit has so far added up to an estimated $ 1.4 billion in insured losses, according to an ongoing report of storm claims updated last week. The numbers do not include claims made to the National Flood Insurance Program.