Parts of Carolinas underwater as Tropical Storm Debby makes second landfall

Tropical Storm Debby made a second landfall in South Carolina early Thursday morning unleashing heavy rain and strong winds.

Tropical Storm Debby made its second US landfall early Thursday near Bulls Bay, South Carolina, about 20 miles northeast of Charleston, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 50 mph as it slowly moved inland at 5 mph, exacerbating ongoing flooding across the Carolinas that has propped curfews, road closures, and widespread disruptions.

Debby is a 3 on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes in the United States due to dangerous storm surge, life-threatening flooding rain and strong winds. The storm has already been responsible for at least six fatalities, all of which were reported in Florida near where Debby roared ashore as a Category 1 hurricane.

“Our emergency crews and city staff are working around the clock to keep our residents safe," Charleston Mayor William Cogswell said in a press release on Tuesday. "Safety of our residents and staff is our top priority.”

Debby first made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane early Monday on the Gulf Coast of Florida. It is now a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds at 50 mph.

President Joe Biden has approved an emergency declaration for South Carolina as the state deals with the impacts of Tropical Storm Debby. The declaration allows FEMA to coordinate disaster relief efforts and provide resources and equipment to the state as well as assistance and reimbursement for mass care, evacuation and shelter support.

On Wednesday, the Canoochee River near Claxton, Georgia, a town that received over a foot of rain this week, broke it's 100-year record height of 17.80 feet.

Residents remember recent major floods

Those living in the eastern Carolinas - an area vulnerable to flooding from tropical storms and hurricanes - have been through this before. Debby's threat of flooding is reminiscent of residents of the area's vulnerability to flooding from tropical storms; between 2015 and 2018, three major floods gripped the eastern parts of North and South Carolina.

Hurricane Florence 2018

Florence brought torrential rain to North Carolina and South Carolina, particularly affecting the Pee Dee river basin in northeast South Carolina. The storm caused rivers to swell and overflow, leading to extensive flooding that damaged homes, roads and infrastructure. Both North Carolina's and South Carolina's record for highest rainfall totals from a single tropical storm were established during Florence: 23.63 inches at Loris, South Carolina, and 35.93 inches at Elizabethtown, North Carolina.

Hurricane Matthew 2016

Two years before Florence, Hurricane Matthew dropped 1-2 feet of rain from the Georgia coast to southeast Virginia. Heavy rainfall led to significant river flooding, which impacted communities and caused extensive damage.

Hurricane Joaquin 2015

Often referred to as a 1,000-year flood, this event was caused by a combination of a stalled low-pressure system and moisture from Hurricane Joaquin. The unprecedented rainfall led to catastrophic flooding across much of the state, particularly in the Midlands and Lowcountry regions. Many areas received more than 20 inches of rain, resulting in dam failures, road closures, and widespread property damage.

Prior floods of note

Although South Carolina was spared the worst of Hurricane Dorian in 2019, the storm still brought heavy rain and caused localized flooding, particularly along the coast, where more than a foot of rain fell.

Hurricane Floyd in 1999 brought record rainfall, causing rivers to overflow in the Carolinas, resulting in catastrophic flooding. The flooding was compounded by Hurricane Dennis's saturation of the ground just weeks earlier.

In 1996, Hurricane Fran's heavy rain caused rivers and streams to overflow their banks, resulting in widespread damage to homes, roads and infrastructure.