Tropical Storm Debby to bring widespread, ‘potentially severe’ flooding to North Carolina

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper delivers a new conference about Tropical Storm Debby alongside state officials at the National Guard’s Joint Force Headquarters in Raleigh on Aug. 7, 2024. (Photo by Galen Bacharier/NC Newsline)

Gov. Roy Cooper and North Carolina officials said Wednesday the state was prepared for widespread and potentially severe flash flooding in the coming days as Tropical Storm Debby sweeps across the east coast.

“All North Carolinians across our state need to be prepared for a deluge,” Cooper said in a news conference broadcast to the public. “More rain than most of us see in a month, or even several months.”

Southeastern portions of the state could see as much of 15 inches of rain as the storm moves through, and up to 10 inches in central parts of the state. The storm is set to bring multiple days of heavy precipitation due to its “slow, gradual approach.”

Cooper urged residents to listen to local guidance, avoid flooded roads and follow evacuation orders in parts of the state where they are needed.

The state has deployed 17 swift water rescue teams, primarily to eastern parts of the state. Food and supplies are set to be distributed to nine counties in the southeast corner.

Cooper said as of Wednesday, he didn’t expect rivers to reach the levels seen during Hurricanes Florence and Matthew. But he said that, tentatively, state officials expect rivers to crest starting Friday, and possibly through Sunday.

“We hope that this event will not approach the catastrophic nature of both of those hurricanes,” Cooper said. “But it just shows us, we have to pay attention to resiliency, to building code standards.”

Cooper declared a state of emergency on Monday, allowing for state agencies to swiftly respond to outages and deliver supplies when needed.

And on Wednesday morning, President Joe Biden authorized FEMA to provide disaster assistance for affected counties. FEMA has personnel on the ground in the state as of today, state officials said.

Fatalities from the storm have already been reported in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, said Cooper, who said “our prayers are with our southern neighbors.”

North Carolinians seeking more information about the storm and what they should do to prepare should visit ReadyNC.gov. And you can follow forecasts for flooding and water levels at FIMAN.nc.gov.