AccuWeather meteorologists are urging preparedness as Tropical Storm Debby, currently a slow-moving system, is expected to evolve into a fast-moving rainmaker, bringing flooding rainfall along its 1,000-mile path from the Southeast to New England.
“We are very concerned about the flooding threat extending all the way up into New England, especially after we’ve seen flooding rainfall across parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and southern New York yesterday. The ground is incredibly saturated right now,” said AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva. “It will take only about 1.5 to 2.5 inches of additional rainfall from Debby in some of the areas to cause flash flooding. We’re forecasting a widespread area of 2-4 inches and a band of 4-8 inches of rainfall.”
Debby, predicted to make a second landfall late Wednesday night north of Charleston, poses a significant risk of life-threatening and potentially historic flooding in the Southeast. Rainfall totals could reach 18-24 inches along the South Carolina coast, with widespread amounts of 4-8 inches across the region.
“Debby continues to meander off the South Carolina coast right now. The storm is starting to make a northwest turn and will move toward the South Carolina coast to make landfall somewhere north of Charleston late Wednesday night,” explained DaSilva. “The rainbands are expected to fill in before Debby makes its second landfall. Debby could try to intensify a bit over the warm waters of the Gulf Stream this afternoon, but we do not expect rapid intensification at this time.”
As Debby accelerates northeastward, a major flooding threat is anticipated in the Northeast between Thursday and Friday. A zone from Virginia through Pennsylvania and into upstate New York and Vermont could see 4-8 inches of rain, with localized amounts up to 12 inches.
Debby’s impact is not limited to flooding. Strong winds, tornadoes, power outages, and major travel disruptions are also expected. AccuWeather forecasts thousands of flight cancellations over the coming days.
AccuWeather experts stress the importance of preparedness. Residents and businesses in the storm’s path are urged to prepare for potential flooding, power outages, and travel disruptions. Those in flood-prone areas should have evacuation plans in place.
Debby has already caused at least six deaths since making landfall in Florida and is expected to cause tens of billions of dollars in damage across the United States. It is poised to join the ranks of hurricanes like Matthew and Florence, which unleashed catastrophic flooding in the Carolinas.
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