August 6, 2024, Tropical Storm Debby floods Southeast after Florida hurricane hit | CNN

August 6, 2024, Tropical Storm Debby news

Elizabeth Wolfe Aditi Sangal Antoinette Radford Mary Gilbert Eric Zerkel
By Elizabeth Wolfe, Aditi Sangal, Antoinette Radford, Lauren Mascarenhas, Mary Gilbert and Eric Zerkel, CNN
Updated 12:09 AM EDT, Wed August 7, 2024
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Why Charleston is at risk: Debby’s impact and what you should know
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What we covered here

  • Tracking Debby: Debby, which powered ashore Monday as a hurricane, weakened to a tropical storm as it moved slowly through southeastern Georgia. The storm is now back over water, just off the coast near the Georgia-South Carolina border. See Debby’s projected path.
  • Historic rainfall: For the next few days – after moving into the Atlantic and restrengthening – Debby is expected to dump potentially historic levels of rain and bring catastrophic flooding.
  • Deadly storm: At least four people died in Florida: one from a downed tree, one on a slick road, and two after a single-vehicle wreck. One person also died in Georgia due to a falling tree.
  • The role of climate change: Global warming caused by fossil fuel pollution is causing wetter storms and storms to strengthen more rapidly. Debby tracked through near-record warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico, which helped it rapidly intensify.
  • If you are in an area of low connectivity, get the latest CNN updates here.
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Our live coverage of Tropical Storm Debby has moved here.

Far-reaching Debby is fueling a flood threat in the Northeast as it lingers near South Carolina. Here's the latest

From CNN staff
The yards of beachfront houses are flooded as Tropical Storm Debby moves to the North Atlantic, in Isle of Palms, South Carolina, on August 6.
The yards of beachfront houses are flooded as Tropical Storm Debby moves to the North Atlantic, in Isle of Palms, South Carolina, on August 6.
Marco Bello/Reuters

Tropical Storm Debby is wreaking havoc up and down the East Coast as it delivers torrential rains and dangerous flooding to South Carolina – even while helping drive another significant flood threat in the Northeast.

The slow-moving storm, which is currently hovering off the Georgia-South Carolina coast, will continue creating headaches for the rest of the week as it crawls northward.

Further north, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has declared a state of emergency in anticipation of transportation difficulties and power outages as Debby approaches.

Here’s what you need to know:

  • Debby eyes second landfall: The storm is expected to loiter in the Atlantic until it makes a second landfall on Thursday somewhere between Charleston and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. In the meantime, it will keep pounding the state with heavy rain, devastating flooding and some tornadoes. A tornado watch along the coastline of the Carolinas has been extended until 1 a.m. Wednesday. No deaths or injuries have been reported thus far.
  • Northeast braces for flooding: Tropical moisture from Debby is set to surge northward, feeding several rounds of drenching storms over the Northeast on Tuesday and Wednesday. This may raise the risk of flooding for parts of Pennsylvania, New York, southern New England, Maryland, Delaware and all of New Jersey. Flash flood warnings are in effect across parts of the area, including Philadelphia and Newark. The New York City Emergency Management Office warned of “significant disruptions to travel, flooded basements & first floors of residents and businesses, and underground infrastructure.”
  • Curfews and water rescues: As Debby transforms roads to rivers and swamps homes in parts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, local officials are taking measures to keep residents safe. Charleston’s mayor extended the city’s curfew until at least Wednesday morning. Water rescues have been reported in all three states, including trapped drivers and struggling boaters.
  • Storm deaths: At least five storm-related deaths have been reported. That includes four people who died in Florida: one from a downed tree, one on a slick road and two after a single-vehicle wreck. A teenager also died in Georgia due to a fallen tree.
  • Power outages: More than 45,000 homes and businesses remain without power in Florida after Debby made landfall there as a hurricane Monday, according to PowerOutage.us. Storms in the Northeast are also causing significant power outages in the Northeast, including more than 370,000 in the dark in Ohio.
  • Later this week: Debby will likely strengthen as it hovers over the warm Atlantic waters, but its proximity to land should limit its ability to gain hurricane strength again. After making landfall again in the Southeast, it is expected to march up the entire East Coast from Friday and beyond. The storm will likely lose enough strength to be a tropical depression by Saturday morning and remain that way through at least Sunday, when it reaches Maine.

Tornado threat continues for over 1 million people along Carolina coast

From CNN Meteorologist Robert Shackelford
Residents repair their roof as high winds from an outer band from Tropical Storm Debby passed over the Isle of Palms, South Carolina, on August 6.
Residents repair their roof as high winds from an outer band from Tropical Storm Debby passed over the Isle of Palms, South Carolina, on August 6.
Mic Smith/AP

A tornado watch along the Carolina coast has been extended until 1 am ET, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

More than 1 million people are under the tornado watch, including residents of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina.

Tornado threats will persist through the week, and twisters have “likely occurred” in Edisto Beach, Kiawah Island, Moncks Corner, Lady’s Island, West Ashley and Isle of Palms, said John Quagliariello with the National Weather Service.

Flash flood warnings in place in Philadelphia and New Jersey

From CNN Meteorologist Robert Shackelford

A cold front sweeping through the Northeast has tapped into tropical moisture associated with Debby and is bringing heavy rainfall to the New Jersey and Philadelphia areas. 

Flash flood warnings are in effect across parts of the region, including in Philadelphia and parts of New Jersey, including Morristown and Trenton.

“Life-threatening flooding” is possible in Philadelphia, the National Weather Service said in its warning. Several roads have been flooded in the area, and 3 to 5 inches of rain has been reported, the agency said.

Newark has seen between 2 to 4.5 inches of rain and another inch is possible. 

Parts of the New York City area were also under flash flood warnings earlier Tuesday evening, but those have since expired. New York City has seen 1.5 to 4.5 inches of rain and could see around another inch.

The bulk of the rainfall will move through the area over the next few hours. The flood watches will remain for New York and Philadelphia until Wednesday morning. 

This post has been updated with the expired flash flood warnings for parts of New York City.

South Carolina dam holding after fire department warned it had "potential to fail" earlier Tuesday

From CNN's Jamiel Lynch

Earlier on Tuesday, a fire department in South Carolina’s Colleton County told residents the McGrady Dam had a “potential to fail” due to substantial flooding in the area. In an update at 8:00 p.m. local time, the department confirmed the dam has not failed. 

In a social media post Tuesday afternoon, the fire department had said “the dam is currently holding,” emphasizing its morning message was precautionary, and the dam was “not ‘expected to fail.’”

The dam is around 8 miles southwest of the city of Walterboro.

In pictures: Debby moves across Georgia and South Carolina

CNN's Photo staff

After making landfall in Florida as a hurricane on Monday, Tropical Storm Debby moved through southwestern Georgia. It’s now off the coast of the Atlantic near the Georgia-South Carolina border, and is expected to bring ‘catastrophic’ flooding in South Carolina.

Charleston has received a foot of water, prompting the mayor to extend the city’s curfew to Wednesday morning. In Georgia, a 19-year-old has died and multiple areas are facing power outages.

The storm is expected to make a second landfall in South Carolina on Thursday as it moves up the East Coast, dumping potentially historic levels of rain.

Workers clean up a manhole in a flooded street in Savannah, Georgia, on August 6.
Workers clean up a manhole in a flooded street in Savannah, Georgia, on August 6.
Marco Bello/Reuters
A man is pulled by a golf cart through flood water in Isle of Palms, South Carolina, on August 6.
A man is pulled by a golf cart through flood water in Isle of Palms, South Carolina, on August 6.
Marco Bello/Reuters
A palm tree is reflected in a car's broken windshield in Isle of Palms, South Carolina, on August 6.
A palm tree is reflected in a car's broken windshield in Isle of Palms, South Carolina, on August 6.
Marco Bello/Reuters
Firefighters Ron Strauss, top, and Andrew Stevenson, below, carry food to residents stranded in flood water in Savannah's Tremont Park neighborhood on August 6.
Firefighters Ron Strauss, top, and Andrew Stevenson, below, carry food to residents stranded in flood water in Savannah's Tremont Park neighborhood on August 6.
Stephen B. Morton/AP
A worker cleans debris from a possible tornado after an outer band from Tropical Storm Debby passed over the Isle of Palms, South Carolina, on August 6.
A worker cleans debris from a possible tornado after an outer band from Tropical Storm Debby passed over the Isle of Palms, South Carolina, on August 6.
Mic Smith/AP
Power line crews come out to help people in Savannah, Georgia, on August 6.
Power line crews come out to help people in Savannah, Georgia, on August 6.
Megan Varner/Getty Images
A surfer comes out of the water after riding the waves created by Tropical Storm Debby near the Tybee pier, in Tybee Island, Georgia, August 6.
A surfer comes out of the water after riding the waves created by Tropical Storm Debby near the Tybee pier, in Tybee Island, Georgia, August 6.
Stephen B. Morton/AP

Virginia governor declares state of emergency in advance of Tropical Storm Debby

From CNN's Michelle Watson

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency Tuesday, anticipating transportation difficulties and power outages from Tropical Storm Debby, his office said in a news release. 

Though Debby’s exact track is uncertain, strong winds, heavy rains, storm surge and severe flooding could hit the Commonwealth by Wednesday evening, the release said.

Charleston gets 1 foot of water, curfew remains until Wednesday morning 

From CNN’s Jamiel Lynch
A truck sprays flood water n Charleston as Tropical Storm Debby approaches on Tuesday.
A truck sprays flood water n Charleston as Tropical Storm Debby approaches on Tuesday.
Mic Smith/AP

Charleston has received a foot of water from Tropical Storm Debby thus far, Mayor William Cogswell Jr. said in a news conference Tuesday night. 

The city is projected to receive “a few more inches” before midnight. He added that a flash flood warning is still in effect until 10:30 p.m.

The city will keep the current curfew in place until at least 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, he added. 

“I don’t want to have this in place any longer than we have to,” the mayor said. “I promise you that the purpose of this curfew is not to be annoying, is not to hurt businesses. It’s to keep people off the roads and prioritize the safety of our residents and our first responders while we still have a tropical storm sitting off our coast.”

No reported deaths, injuries in South Carolina but "catastrophic" flooding expected

From CNN's Sydney Bishop

As the center of Tropical Storm Debby approaches South Carolina, officials are anticipating more rain and flooding when the slow-moving storm reaches the state. 

No fatalities nor injuries have been reported, Gov. Henry McMaster said at a Tuesday news conference, nor have any local evacuation orders been put in place.  

Debby’s center is moving towards the state at 3 mph with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 5 p.m. advisory, and the storm has been lashing the state with rain. John Quagliariello with the National Weather Service said there will likely be “catastrophic flash and urban flooding” with a local total of 25 inches of rainfall possible.  

Rainfall “will remain the greatest concern,” Quagliariello emphasized Tuesday, noting rivers will also rise “significantly” and any resulting flooding could “last long-term, cutting off access to some communities.”  

Tornado threats will also persist through the week, and twisters have “likely occurred” in Edisto Beach, Kiawah Island, Moncks Corner, Lady’s Island, West Ashley and Isle of Palms, Quagliariello said. It is not immediately clear whether the reported tornado at Edisto Beach has had an impact on any structures. 

Kim Stenson with the South Carolina Emergency Management Division said Colleton County, in the southern part of the state, has preliminarily reported damage to about 50 homes.  

There are over 12,000 storm related outages statewide as of Tuesday afternoon, and residents should be expecting more, according to Andrew Bateman of the state Office of Regulatory Staff.

Coast Guard rescues man in sailing vessel taking on water during Tropical Storm Debby

From CNN’s Jamiel Lynch

The US Coast Guard in Charleston rescued an 82-year-old man Tuesday in a disabled sailboat during Tropical Storm Debby, the agency said in a release.

“Coast Guard Sector Charleston watchstanders received a notification at 7:45 a.m. from the insurance company of a 32-foot sailing vessel stating the owner needed to relocate his vessel to a safe haven but was unable to do so due to engine problems and difficulty raising the anchor on his own,” the release said.

The man also said the vessel had a large hole on the side and was taking on water.

The Coast Guard was able to help the man raise his vessel’s anchor and move it safely to the marina, according to the release.

No injuries were reported in the incident.

The center of Debby is now back over water 

From CNN Meteorologist Mary Gilbert
Debby swirls just off the coast near the Georgia-South Carolina border late Tuesday afternoon.
Debby swirls just off the coast near the Georgia-South Carolina border late Tuesday afternoon.
CIRA/RAMMB/NOAA

Radar and satellite imagery show the center of Tropical Storm Debby is now located just off the coast near the Georgia-South Carolina border.  

Debby will track farther out over the Atlantic Ocean through Wednesday but remain within a few dozen miles of the US coastline.  

Now back over warm ocean waters, Debby will strengthen a bit before turning to the north and heading for the South Carolina coast early Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center.  

The storm will unload additional rounds of heavy rain over the Southeast through at least Thursday.

A post-hurricane heat wave is the nightmare scenario

From CNN Climate's Laura Paddison
People waiting in extreme heat to buy ice at Duplantier Ice Service in New Orleans, Louisiana on September 1, 2021, as power remained out in most of the city after Hurricane Ida ripped through the state. 
People waiting in extreme heat to buy ice at Duplantier Ice Service in New Orleans, Louisiana on September 1, 2021, as power remained out in most of the city after Hurricane Ida ripped through the state. 
Leah Millis/Reuters

When Hurricane Ida battered Louisiana with catastrophic flooding and powerful winds in August 2021, more than 1 million people lost power. Then came the heat wave.

Temperatures rose above 90 degrees Fahrenheit — a sucker punch to those sweltering in their homes, unable to turn on air conditioning as power outages stretched on for days.

It was the heat that proved deadliest in New Orleans, responsible for at least nine of the city’s 14 hurricane-related deaths.

The combination of a hurricane, heat wave and a multi-day power outage is a nightmare scenario, but it’s one set to become more common as humans continue to warm the planet, fueling devastating extreme weather. And it reveals an uncomfortable truth about the vulnerability of humanity’s ultimate protection against heat: Air conditioning.

Continue reading: Why your air conditioning can’t save you anymore.

Heat index approaches triple digits for tens of thousands without power in Florida

From CNN Meteorologist Mary Gilbert

Floridians are no strangers to hot, sticky heat, but it’s dangerous for the tens of thousands without power or a reliable way to cool off in the wake of Hurricane Debby.

More than 90,000 customers are still without power in the state as of Tuesday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.us. A majority of these outages are in the northern part of the state where Debby made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane Monday morning. 

Heat index values this afternoon have surged into the upper 90s and near triple digits in some spots in the outage area.  

Afternoon highs will reach the low-to-mid-90s Wednesday and Thursday in much of the impacted area, so any prolonged outages would increase the danger of heat-related illnesses.

Read more about how heat kills. 

Debby slows down further, will soon enter the Atlantic

From CNN Meteorologist Mary Gilbert

Tropical Storm Debby has slowed down again and it’s about to leave land and move out into the Atlantic Ocean.

Debby’s forward speed slowed to just 5 mph, down from 6 mph earlier today, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm’s center is now less than 4 miles from the South Carolina coastline and should slip into the Atlantic in the next hour.

Once off the coast, Debby’s slower speed will give the storm more time to tap into warm ocean water and deep tropical moisture. It’ll strengthen and deliver additional rounds of flooding rainfall to the Southeast over the next 48 hours.

Debby has already dumped more than 1.5 feet of rain in Florida, more than 1 foot of rain in South Carolina and nearly 1 foot in Georgia.

Water rescue in southeast Georgia

From CNN's Eric Zerkel

Emergency responders had to come to the aid of a driver trapped in floodwaters in Jeff Davis County, in southeastern Georgia.

Rainfall totals from Debby are around 5 inches in the county.

Watch: Flyover cars still underwater in Sarasota

From CNN's Eric Zerkel and Mary Gilbert

Debby never made landfall or tracked over one of Debby’s hardest-hit areas: Sarasota, Florida.

More than 17 inches of rain fell over the area over a three-day period as the storm tracked parallel to the coast and its trailing rain bands deluged the city.

That’s the wettest three-day period on record for Sarasota and the second-highest rainfall total for a single town from the storm so far.

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Emergency responders conducted hundreds of rescues from flooded homes in the area and the leftover floodwaters are still evident in aerial video posted Tuesday morning from Florida Power & Light.

Water surrounds homes on one Sarasota street and is high enough that only the roofs of some cars are visible.

The utility said floodwaters were slowing down progress in restoring power, but only around 2,000 customers were still without power in Sarasota County by Tuesday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.us.

Video courtesy of Florida Power & Light

The next two weeks could be "quite active" in the Atlantic, forecaster says

From CNN's Eric Zerkel

All eyes are on Debby, but the storm could be an appetizer of what’s to come as a predicted hyperactive hurricane season builds toward its climatological crescendo, with forecasters at Colorado State University calling for an abnormally active August in the Atlantic Ocean.

“We believe that the next two weeks will be quite active for Atlantic hurricane activity,” the forecasters wrote.

There’s an 85% chance of above-normal activity from August 6 to 19, according to the report.

Atmospheric conditions are forecast to become more favorable for development during this timeframe and forecast models are showing increased tropical activity across the area of the Atlantic where most tropical systems form, the report said. The Atlantic is already near record-warm in the region, providing ample food for any storms to feast on.

The National Hurricane Center is tracking a system that has a 30% chance of developing over the next 7 days in the western Caribbean or southwestern Gulf of Mexico as seen in the yellow shaded area.
The National Hurricane Center is tracking a system that has a 30% chance of developing over the next 7 days in the western Caribbean or southwestern Gulf of Mexico as seen in the yellow shaded area.
National Hurricane Center

The National Hurricane Center is already watching an area in the Caribbean and Southwestern Gulf of Mexico for potential tropical development over the next week. There’s currently a 30% chance that could happen.

The forecasters also released an update to their forecast for Atlantic hurricane season as a whole and are still calling for an “extremely active” season with 23 named storms, 12 hurricanes and 6 major hurricanes, including the storms that have already formed so far this year.

The warm water of the Atlantic and a burgeoning La Niña, which has a tendency to create more favorable conditions for storms, are the chief reasons behind the forecast.

Tropical activity typically starts to escalate in the back half of August and peaks in mid-September, so the next two weeks could be a warm up for weeks of activity to come.

Here's where Debby is headed and why it could strengthen again

From CNN Meteorologist Mary Gilbert

Debby’s center is located just south of Savannah, Georgia, and is moving to the east-northeast at just 6 mph this morning. It will cross into the Atlantic later today.  

Once there, Debby will loiter just off the Georgia-South Carolina coast through Wednesday night. It’ll unload drenching rainfall over the Southeast and mid-Atlantic during this time. 

The storm currently has sustained winds of 40 mph but will regain some strength midweek while back over the warm water of the Atlantic Ocean. But its proximity to land should limit its ability to strengthen enough to become a hurricane again. 

Debby will start to move northward by Thursday and pick up speed along the way. It will then make its second landfall somewhere between Charleston and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  

Debby will then track over land up the entire East Coast from Friday and beyond. The storm will likely lose enough strength to be a tropical depression by Saturday morning and remain that way through at least Sunday, when it reaches Maine.

Heavy, potentially flooding rainfall will remain Debby’s main threat as it sweeps up the East Coast later this week.

As Debby passes, officials warn Floridians that flooding will continue

From CNN’s Andy Rose
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to residents and members of the media on Tuesday in Steinhatchee, Florida.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to residents and members of the media on Tuesday in Steinhatchee, Florida.
Christopher O'Meara/AP

The storm that made landfall as Hurricane Debby is now out of Florida, but officials warn residents that flooding from swollen rivers is far from over.

“We are bracing for more that’s going to happen in north-central Florida. There’s just a lot of water,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said. “When it dumps in southern Georgia, it makes its way down to us.”

Florida Division of Emergency Management director Kevin Guthrie said some river flooding could continue “anywhere, depending on the river, from the next three days to the next two weeks.” 

Power outages continue to plague some rural counties, with DeSantis noting that 99% of electric customers remain without power in Jefferson County.

Why Debby is currently hitting Charleston harder than Savannah

From CNN Meteorologist Mary Gilbert

Just a few dozen miles separate the locations getting the worst of Debby’s flooding rain and those only seeing a dreary summer day. It’s all due to where Debby’s center is located.  

Debby is currently centered about 15 miles south of Savannah, Georgia. Rainfall near and up to about 40 miles from the storm’s center has been relatively light this morning. Rainfall rates in the area have been very low, only maxing out at a tenth-to-quarter inch of rain an hour.

Tropical Storm Debby brings rain to the Southeast Tuesday morning.
Tropical Storm Debby brings rain to the Southeast Tuesday morning.
RadarScope

It’s a big change from Monday for Savannah, which was one of the 10 wettest days on record for the city. The 4.5 to 6.5 inches of rain that fell likely represented the wettest day from the storm.

Flooding and water rescues occurred in the city, but the area seemed to narrowly avoid the catastrophic flooding that could still unfold farther up the Southeast coast.  

Despite the light nature of the rain today, steady periods of rain could still set up over the area once Debby moves off the coast late today and slows to a crawl Wednesday. Savannah could record up to an additional 4 inches of rain before Debby moves away from the area later this week.

Debby’s most intense rain bands are deluging areas anywhere from 90 to a few hundred miles away from its center. A stretch of South Carolina coastline from Charleston to Myrtle Beach was getting pounded by rainfall rates up to 2 to 3 inches per hour at times this morning.  

Parts of the region have already recorded a foot of rain with plenty more to come. 

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