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Debby downgraded to a tropical depression, still threatens northeast US
Debby is currently spiraling northward toward Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York, where it's forecast to spawn a few tornadoes and threaten more flash flooding on some already-soaked patches of the U.S., forecasters said.
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A woman looks on at the sea from the shoreline as Tropical Storm Debby drifts in the East Coast, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, U.S., August 7, 2024. / REUTERS/Marco Bello
ATLANTA (Reuters) -Tropical Storm Debby was downgraded to a tropical depression on Aug.8 after leaving at least seven people dead in its wake across the U.S. southeast this week.
Debby is currently spiraling northward toward Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York, where it's forecast to spawn a few tornadoes and threaten more flash flooding on some already-soaked patches of the U.S., forecasters said.
The National Weather Service said in a bulletin that while Debby would continue to weaken through Aug.11, "heavy rain, flash, and river flooding effects will continue over the next two days as the storm begins its northeastward acceleration."
Debby made landfall on Aug.8 for a second time this week, arriving on shore again near Bulls Bay, South Carolina, three days after slamming into Florida's Gulf Coast as a Category 1 hurricane, then traveling across northern Florida and Georgia to the Atlantic Coast.
Debby could spawn a few tornadoes in North Carolina and Virginia later Aug.8 and early Aug.9, including in the vicinity of Washington, D.C., the NWS said.
Debby was forecast to bring another 3 inches (7 cm) of rain on Aug.8 to parts of eastern South Carolina, the National Hurricane Center said, with total amounts in some spots exceeding 25 inches (64 cm) since Monday. Rainfall totals could reach 15 inches (38 cm) in southeastern North Carolina and 10 inches (25 cm) in parts of Virginia.
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster said there had been no storm-related deaths in his state as of Aug.8 afternoon, but he urged residents to remain cautious about venturing out as the state faces the threat of river flooding.
"It's not over yet. We've passed some dangers, but there are still plenty, so don't let your guard down yet," McMaster said at a press conference.
More than 45,000 customers were without power in North Carolina and Virginia Thursday night, according to the tracking site, Poweroutage.us.
A tornado killed one man when his house collapsed as it tore through eastern North Carolina and damaged at least 10 houses, a church, and a school in Wilson County, North Carolina, early on Aug.8, county officials reported on social media.
By the weekend, Debby could produce up to 6 inches (15 cm) of rain from Maryland into northern Vermont. But New York City will avoid the worst of the storm, said Josh Weiss, a forecaster with the weather service.
In Bulloch County, Georgia, about 50 miles (80 km) northwest of Savannah, four dams burst on Wednesday as a result of floodwaters, and officials warned the Cypress Lake Dam was at risk of failure on Aug.8.
That forced the evacuation of residents after homes were flooded and roads made impassable as lakes and creeks overflowed, the Bulloch County Sheriff's Office reported.
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