On Wednesday, Tropical Storm Debby continued to bring heavy rains to the area as it moved over the coastal regions of Georgia and the Carolinas before moving north. The storm had already spawned tornadoes and caused floods in the streets with more rain for the South forecasted.
According to AP, National Weather Service confirmed four tornadoes near Charleston while National Hurricane Center warned that some places might receive up to 25 inches (64 centimeters) of rainfall from this storm.
Gene Taylor, a Huger resident who lives about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northeast of Charleston waited for floodwaters from French Quarter Creek to recede following high tide. With slow movement across the region, there was increased concern about further flooding and potential damage by this storm.
Authorities in Georgia’s Bulloch County reported four dams were breached but no fatalities were recorded. Over 75 people were also saved from floodwaters while around 100 roads were closed down. “We’re facing challenges we’ve never seen before,” Bulloch County Commission Chairman Roy Thompson said. “It’s incredible what has happened and will continue until these waters recede.” For Tappan Zee Drive residents, they witnessed flooding similar to that caused by Hurricane Matthew in 2016 when the hurricane overflowed a nearby canal into their homes.
Impact of storm
The effects of Debby stretched northwards to regions around Great Lakes as well as parts of New York and New Jersey. Another weather system was made worse due to Storm’s moisture, causing severe thunderstorms. Parts of New Jersey received six inches (15 cm) within four hours. Drones equipped with loudspeakers were sent over basement apartments instructing them on evacuation since there might be flash floods in New York City too. Various water rescues occurred within city limits.
Almost sixty thousand customers in Ohio remained without power on Wednesday afternoon due to severe storms alone which left them without any electricity. Illuminating Company announced on social media that power restoration could take days because of the extensive damage caused. The situation in South Carolina was described by Governor Henry McMaster as “Act 2 of a three-act play” noting that it damaged over sixty houses while roads and water systems were largely intact.
Losses from the storm stood at least six people whose death were attributed to the storm including five traffic accidents or fallen trees. The sixth victim, a 48-year-old man, was found after his anchored sailboat began to sink in Gulfport, Florida. North Carolina declared states of emergency while Virginia declared state of emergency with Maryland issuing state of preparedness to coordinate efforts but without declaring an official emergency.
