The Wilmington area woke up to several watches and warnings Tuesday morning as Tropical Storm Debby continues its slow approach.

As of 8 a.m. Tuesday, Tropical Storm Debby was churning over Georgia, moving northeast at about 6 mph. The storm was located about 20 miles southwest of Savannah, and about 105 miles southwest of Charleston, S.C.

A tornado watch has been issued for Southeastern North Carolina until 5 p.m. Tuesday.

The forecast track has Debby moving offshore around the coast of Georgia later today, drifting there through early Thursday, and then moving inland over South Carolina on Thursday. There is a significant risk of flash flooding for Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina over the next few days, according to the National Hurricane Center.

A topical storm watch is in effect for the North Carolina coast up to Surf City, meaning tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area over the next 48 hours. A storm surge watch has also been issued for the coast of Brunswick County.

“This is a life-threatening situation. Persons located within these areas should take all necessary actions to protect life and property from rising water and the potential for other dangerous conditions,” the hurricane center said.

On Monday, Debby made landfall near the coastal town of Steinhatchee, Florida. It’s the fourth named storm of the hurricane season and arrived with sustained winds of 80 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

More: Flooding hotspots to watch for in the Wilmington area with historic rainfall predicted

STORM TRACKER: Monitor the latest tropical developments here.

Here’s a look at what we can expect in the Wilmington area, according to the latest briefing from the National Weather Service in Wilmington.

Wind

The most likely time of arrival of strong winds to the Wilmington area is Thursday morning. The probability of tropical storm force winds continues to increase, especially along coastal areas from Cape Fear southward.

Rain

Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender counties are expected to see rainfall amounts of 12 to 16 inches, which could result in life-threatening flash flooding, according to the weather service.

The significant flooding could result in some roads being washed away and flooded. “Similar past events have led to flash flood related fatalities from people attempting to drive across flooded roads,” the weather service said. “Do not drive across flooded areas – the current may sweep your vehicle off the road, or the weight of your vehicle may collapse the road.”

The weather service also advised people living along rivers and creeks to make preparations for possible moderate to major flooding developing later this week. The risk of major flooding is highest for the following rivers: Lumber River, Little Pee Dee River, Black Creek, Northeast Cape Fear River and Waccamaw River.

INTERACTIVE MAP: Enter your address to see hurricanes, tropical storms that have passed nearby

Storm surge

Storm surge of 2 to 4 feet is possible from Cape Fear southward, which includes Brunswick County. The threat of surge will increase, especially around high tide Wednesday through Friday morning. This could impact roads prone to coastal flooding and areas where the shoreline is weak from previous storms.

Tornadoes

On Monday, the weather service also said there is a marginal risk of tornadoes, primarily across portions of northeastSouth Carolina, beginning tonight. Forecasters are assessing how this threat could change through Tuesday and beyond.

Marine impacts

Rough surf, including dangerous rip currents, and hazardous marine conditions are expected through much of the week.

Are you prepared for a hurricane?

Hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. Even if this system won’t pose a threat to the NC coast, it’s never too early to be prepared.

GET READY: Are you prepared for a hurricane? Here’s what to know if you live in the Wilmington area.

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Tropical Storm Debby weakened most of the day Monday, but it also slowed down and that will mean days of heavy rain for North Carolina before the center reaches us Friday. Those days of heavy rain means the threat of flooding later this week.

The latest information late Monday night from the National Hurricane Center had Debby as a weakening tropical storm with 45 mph winds and only moving northeast at 7 m.p.h.

State of Emergency declared in North Carolina ahead of Tropical Storm Debby

Debby made landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida as a Category 1 Hurricane with winds of 80 mph Monday morning.

Heavy rain from Debby is ongoing across Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. There have also been a few tornado warnings along with gusty winds. Debby is expected to slow down even more over the next day or two.

Rain bands from Debby could reach southeastern North Carolina Tuesday, but heavy flooding rain would begin later in the day Wednesday and could last through Friday, especially in coastal North Carolina.

Tropical Storm Debby slowly moving towards the Carolinas

It is looking likely that Debby will move back over the waters of the Atlantic off the coast of South Carolina Tuesday into Wednesday, before making a possible second landfall on the northern coast of South Carolina. The time over the water could allow for the storm to gradually strengthen into a strong tropical storm Thursday. There will be minor adjustments to the forecast path and the strength of Debby, but those small changes will not have a large impact on the final forecast for central North Carolina.

Debby will be a much weaker system when it arrives in Central North Carolina, but multiple days of heavy rainfall will likely result in widespread 2-8 inch totals, with locally higher amounts. The higher rain totals will be in the Sandhills with lower amounts near the Virginia border.

Soils are already saturated across much of the region, so flooding issues are likely, especially in the Sandhills.

North Carolina crews clear storm drains, ready equipment ahead of storm

Gusty winds could also bring down some trees and powerlines, but those problems are not expected until Friday and at that time, power outages could become an issue in isolated amounts. Forecast wind gusts Friday are expected to be 30-40 m.p.h. with a very low tornado threat.

In addition to the rain issues, tropical storm conditions are possible along the coast of North Carolina. A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for a part of the North Carolina coastline from around Surf City down toward the South Carolina border. A Tropical Storm Watch means tropical storm conditions of sustained winds of 39 to 73 m.p.h. are possible within this area in the next 48 hours. A Storm Surge Watch has also been issued for the southern coast of North Carolina as 2 to 4 feet of surge is possible.

For residents in Central North Carolina, a good hurricane preparedness plan includes having an emergency kit ready. This kit could contain non-perishable food, water, medications, flashlights, batteries, and important documents. It’s also wise to have cash on hand, as power outages can make electronic transactions difficult.

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A national effort by former Republican Party politicians and activists to back the presidential campaign of Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris kicked off in North Carolina Monday.

Led by a politically conservative U.S. Army veteran, a former Republican justice on the North Carolina Supreme Court and a former local GOP activist from Charlotte, the state chapter of “Republicans for Harris” launched with speeches and a press conference.

They all said they disagree with many of the policies Harris backs. But they’re nevertheless endorsing her for president and working to convince fellow Republicans to listen to their arguments — namely, that former President Donald Trump and his Make America Great Again movement don’t represent the conservative values of the Republican Party they believe in.

“Donald Trump does not stand for our beliefs,” said Michael Tucker, a former board member of the Mecklenburg County GOP. “He does not stand for anything but himself.”

The North Carolina Republican Party didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the new group and its efforts to mobilize the anti-Trump wing of the party. Neither did the Trump campaign.

The Harris campaign helped organize the new group and said it’s happy to welcome the support.

“There’s a home in our campaign for Republican voters who care deeply about the future of our democracy, standing strong with our allies against foreign adversaries, and working across the aisle to get things done for the American people,” her campaign wrote in a statement.

Scott Peoples, a Raleigh resident who served in the 82nd Airborne Division at what’s now Fort Liberty, said Monday that he spent years voting for Republicans. But he can’t support Trump over his history of mocking soldiers who were killed in action or taken prisoner, he said, adding that he also opposes the isolationist foreign policy stances backed by Trump and other MAGA Republicans.

And even though he acknowledged Harris had a liberal voting record while serving in the U.S. Senate, Peoples said he also gives her credit for helping Biden pass the PACT Act in 2022. That massive overhaul of veterans’ health benefits expanded medical coverage for ailments tied to burn pits as well as the toxic water that existed for years at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, a large U.S Marine Corps base.

“They have a proven record that I think even right-leaning veterans can acknowledge,” Peoples said.

Similar sentiments were common throughout Monday’s call: Even if Harris isn’t their ideal candidate, they said, she at least has some issues they can get behind. And, more importantly, she doesn’t strike them as an existential threat to America like they believe Trump to be.

“Donald Trump’s attacks on our institutions and democracy will be much more severe under a second term,” said former North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr. A longtime Republican politician, Orr publicly quit the GOP after the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on Congress by Trump supporters.

Orr and the others hope there are enough never-Trump Republicans like them to help swing North Carolina toward Harris.

In 2020, Trump won North Carolina by just 75,000 votes over Biden. In this year’s primary elections, more than 250,000 North Carolina voters backed former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley against Trump.

And while Trump is still favored to win North Carolina, polls show the race has become more competitive since Harris took over the campaign for Biden. A variety of public polls showed Trump leading Biden by 4% or more in North Carolina. This past week a Morning Consult poll showed Trump leading Harris by 1% of the vote.