Pennsylvania
Harrisburg-area flooding possible as Pa. gets up to 8″ of rain from Debby
Tropical Storm Debby has been lingering over Georgia and the Carolinas all week, but it’s still affecting the weather much further north.
Parts of central Pennsylvania are under a flood watch, with rain and thunderstorms expected on and off Thursday and all day Friday.
AccuWeather models predict most of Pennsylvania will receive between 4 and 8 inches of rain by 8 p.m. Friday.
Debby has already affected the weather here: AccuWeather meteorologists explained this week that storms in the Harrisburg area on Tuesday were, in part, exacerbated by tropical air from Debby pushing into the region, adding moisture to the air.
Live radar over Pennsylvania:
Heavy rain from the slow-moving storm is coming next, and that could lead to floods in parts of central Pennsylvania, the National Weather Service warns.
- More: Statewide weather alerts
A flood watch is in effect from Thursday night through Friday night for a large part of Pennsylvania, including Cumberland, Franklin and Perry counties. It notes that heavy rain and runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.
Waterways including the Swatara, Conodoguinet and Yellow Breeches creeks and the Susquehanna River could see minor flooding. People in typically flood-prone and low-lying areas should watch for high water.
On Thursday, the Harrisburg area will see mostly cloudy skies and rain on and off, the National Weather Service in State College says. Thunderstorms are likely after noon. The Weather Channel says steady rain will move in after 5 p.m. Thursday and stay until Friday night.
There’s a 100% chance of rain Friday, the weather service says, and it’ll be breezy and warm, with a high temperature around 81. Most of central Pennsylvania is expected to get 2 to 4 inches of rain Friday, but some areas could see as much as 6 to 8 inches, forecasters say.
According to Accuweather, Debby is expected to track inland over North Carolina on Thursday, then curve along the Appalachians through the Northeast from Friday to Saturday. How much rain each state, from Virginia to New England, gets depends on how fast or slow Debby moves.
- More: Tropical Storm Debby tornado threat increases for N.J.
Rebecca Fanning, right, who works for the town of Sullivan’s Island, inspects flood waters as Charles Drayton, also an employee of Sullivan’s Island and his son McKain, 8, walk behind on Atlantic Ave. as Tropical Storm Debby approaches, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Sullivan’s Island, S.C. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)AP
Debby first made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane early Monday on the Gulf Coast of Florida. It is now a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds at 50 mph. It has spawned tornados and excessive flooding in the South all week.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.