Post-tropical storm Debby is spiraling up the Eastern Seaboard, posing a significant flood threat to millions of people from the Carolinas to New England. Despite being downgraded from a tropical storm, Debby continues to cause severe weather conditions, including heavy rainfall, flash flooding, and the potential for tornadoes.
Debby has already caused extensive flooding in the Southeast, with river gauges reading high from Florida to New York. The town of Bladenboro, North Carolina, has been completely swamped due to heavy rainfall and surge from the storm. In Moncks Corner, South Carolina, a Flash Flood Emergency was issued due to Debby, leading to evacuations and high-water rescues.
The storm is now making its way into the Northeast, where millions are bracing for its impacts. Wind advisories have been issued across large parts of the Northeast, with winds of up to 50 mph expected, especially along coastal areas. The FOX Forecast Center predicts that large amounts of tropical moisture associated with Debby will produce very heavy rain from the central Appalachians through the interior Northeast. An additional 3-5 inches of rain are likely to fall from Pennsylvania to Maine in less than 24 hours.
The heavy rain will fall on nearly saturated soils, leading to a substantial risk for flash flooding and river flooding in the Lake Champlain, Connecticut River, and Hudson River basins. NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center has placed nearly 10 million people from Pennsylvania to Vermont in a Level 3 out of 4 flood risk.
Tornadoes are also possible along the east side of Debby, from the Delmarva region northward into eastern New York. A Tornado Watch has been issued until 2 p.m. ET for much of the I-95 corridor, including major cities such as Washington, Baltimore, and Philadelphia.
Debby made its first landfall along Florida’s Big Bend region early Monday morning as a Category 1 hurricane. The storm moved slowly as it crossed northern Florida and Georgia, causing widespread flooding and leaving at least seven people dead.
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