Flooding threat remains as Tropical Storm Debby continues toward NC

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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