Since making landfall in
Florida as a category, 1 hurricane on Monday, Debby has unleashed over a foot
of rain across parts of Florida, Georgia & South Carolina. This heavy
rainfall has led to swollen rivers, flooded roadways, & trapped individuals
in vehicles, homes, & boats. The region is also expected to face
potentially dangerous heat in the coming days which could complicate recovery
efforts.
As the storm moves toward
the Northeast more disruptions are anticipated. Here is the latest update:
RisingDeath Toll : One person died early Thursday when a
tornado from Debby hit Wilson County, North Carolina, damaging a middle school,
a church, & several homes. In addition to the death in Lucama at least four
other fatalities have been reported in Florida & one in Georgia.
Confirmed
Tornadoes : The Weather
Service has confirmed at least 11 tornadoes linked to Debby as of early
Thursday including 4 in Florida, 4 in South Carolina & 3 in North Carolina.
A tornado watch is in effect for over five million people in eastern north carolina &
southeastern virginia including raleigh & irginia beach.
Flash
Flood Emergency : Debby is intense rainfall has led to a
flash flood emergency in bladenboro , north carolina where up to eight inches of
rain fell within a few hours , leaving streets submerged under three feet of
water.
CurrentPath : After making landfall near Bulls Bay, South Carolina
with winds of 50 mph, Debby is expected to weaken as it progresses into North
Carolina by Thursday evening & northern Virginia by Friday morning. The
storm will continue to move quickly through Pennsylvania & New York by
Friday evening reaching New England by early Saturday afternoon and bringing
heavy rains , flash flooding to already saturated areas.
Governor’s Warning : North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has urged residents to prepare for severe rain & flooding, anticipating up to fifteen inches of rainfall in some areas. Dangerous rip currents & storm surges up to three feet are expected along the Carolinas' coasts on Thursday.