Tropical Storm Debby Expected To Bring Heavy Rain And Flooding To The CSRA
Tropical Storm Debby is expected to become a hurricane by early Monday and parts of Georgia and South Carolina are bracing for what some forecasters predict will become a historic rain event in the area.
The storm is expected to move slowly, and that’s not good news. It gives the storm system more time to unleash heavy rain and subsequent flooding.
The National Hurricane Center predicted today that a “potentially historic rainfall” of 10 to 20 inches could reach the southern portion of Georgia by Friday.
“This will likely result in areas of severe and widespread flash and urban flooding, with significant river flooding expected,” according to the National Weather Service.
For now, the forecast is calling for a 75% chance of rain Monday in the CSRA; a near 100% chance of rain Monday night with about an inch of accumulation; potential for heavy rain on Tuesday with 2 to 3 inches expected; potential for more heavy rainfall Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Tropical Storm Debby Prompts Governors in Georgia and South Carolina to Issue State of Emergency
Even before Tropical Storm Debby makes her way toward Georgia and South Carolina, governors in both states have issued a state of emergency.
Debby, the fourth named storm of the 2024 hurricane season, is expected to make landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast, then cross over into southeast Georgia and South Carolina. In fact, with a stalled front across South Carolina today, flash flooding could arrive in the Palmetto state as early as Monday.
“As the state prepares for a major storm system early this coming week, we urge all Georgians to take precautions to keep their families and property safe,” said Georgia Governor Brian Kemp.
“Team South Carolina is closely monitoring Tropical Storm Debby and has begun preparing for its potential impact on our state. With a potentially significant rainfall event forecast for the next few days, it’s critical that residents in potentially affected areas start making preparations and plans today in case it’s necessary to take quick action,” said South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster.
Statement from the South Carolina Emergency Management Division
“Potentially historic rainfall amounts will bring widespread life-threatening flooding to parts of South Carolina as a result of the storm, with the possibility of as much as 30 inches of rain along the state’ southern coast Monday through Friday.”
Reminders During and After a Storm
- Take shelter inside a sturdy building away from windows and doors.
- Never touch any downed or low-hanging wires, including telephone or TV wires that touch a power line. Georgia Power customers should call 911 or Georgia Power immediately if you see a fallen or low-hanging power line.
- Available at www.GeorgiaPower.com/Storm, customers can visit the site to check contact information to receive Outage Alerts, report and check the status of outages, and access useful safety tips and information.
- Dominion Energy outage map in South Carolina can be checked at https://outagemap.dominionenergysc.com.
