Tropical Storm Debby continues to have a very tight grip on South Carolina. The system has moved very slowly since making landfall in Florida Monday morning and as the forecast from The National Hurricane Center calls, it will continue to move at a crawling pace through Thursday.
Debby is moving over water and is expected to remain as a tropical storm, but a strengthening one as it is moving over warm waters. If Debby stays a bit longer over water on Thursday, this system could still gain hurricane status. For now, the system is forecast to come back over land, between the Pee Dee and Lowcountry coast, on Thursday morning.
This is a prolonged rain event. Models show the rain to be constant through Friday morning, but once the constant showers end, there will be intermittent dry periods with some storms on Friday afternoon and evening still moving through.
Flash floods will continue to threaten much of eastern South Carolina. Aside from what has already fallen in the last 24 hours, with some places in the Lowcountry registering over 8 inches, there could be an additional 10 inches in the same spots, and across the Pee Dee, there could be 15 inches of additional rain through the end of the week.
Tropical storm warnings are in effect along the South Carolina coast throughout the southern
coast of North Carolina. The winds will be the strongest along the coast and since Debby will remain dragging just offshore, there will be a high threat for beach erosion, and as the storm turns and moves toward the coast on Wednesday the storm surge will be exacerbated along the northern
coast. Again, since this is a prolonged event, the impacts will be greater.
Make sure you heed the warnings and authorities' orders. If you are in a lockdown area, please don't try to leave. You will put your life and rescuers' lives at risk. If you are asked to evacuate, please do so. Even if you are not in a flooded area, don't try to wander off, you will likely encounter flooded roads and could be in danger quickly if waters rise, or you encounter deeper waters than expected.
You can catch the latest information about what's happening with Debby and its impacts by watching and listening to live South Carolina Public Radio and Educational Television sites.
SCETV website: https://www.scetv.org/stream/tropical-storm-debby-update
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/HeP6ZSgpwSQ
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SouthCarolinaETV/live_videos/
