Dozens in need of rescue in Pennsylvania, including via helicopter, in life-threatening flooding

(CNN) — A dangerous situation is unfolding in the Northeast as fast-rising floodwaters from Debby’s extreme rainfall overwhelm communities there.

Rare flash flood emergencies – the most severe flood alert – were issued early Friday afternoon for portions of southern New York and northern Pennsylvania warning of life-threatening and catastrophic flooding. The floodwaters had trapped people in their homes and forced evacuations via boat and helicopter.

Debby is racing through the Northeast but its heavy rain, flooding and tornado threats have spanned hundreds of miles of the eastern United States Friday. The system already triggered tornado and flood warnings for Washington, DC, Friday morning and a flood emergency in South Carolina and remains a serious threat despite losing its tropical status.

Track the storm: Debby’s path

At least seven people have died in the Southeast since Debby crashed into Florida as a Category 1 storm on Monday. Its torrential downpours and heavy winds have shredded homes, flooded neighborhoods and trapped people in cars, homes and boats – and sweltering heat across the region this weekend could make recovery efforts more difficult.

Here’s the latest:

• Helicopters needed for rescues in Pennsylvania: Officials received hundreds of calls for help, including several who needed to be rescued by air from dangerous flooding in northern Pennsylvania’s Tioga County, county commissioner Shane Nickerson told CNN. Water rescues were ongoing Friday afternoon, with 80 to 90 people still needing to be evacuated from their homes. Emergency crews have also been caught up in the flooding. Helicopters and boats have been dispatched to assist in flood response efforts, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency told CNN. The Pennsylvania National Guard has also been called in to help, according to Nickerson.

• Three flash flood emergencies at once: Debby’s torrential rainfall triggered life-threatening flooding situations at the Pennsylvania-New York border Friday afternoon. A flash flood emergency was issued for southern New York’s Steuben County and another was issued shortly after for the nearby cities of Whitesville and Andover. “Numerous areas are flooded with people trapped in homes” in Steuben County, according to the National Weather Service. Evacuations were ordered for Woodhull, a hamlet within the county, due to flooding along a nearby waterway, according to the county’s emergency management office. Another flash flood emergency was issued in the northern Pennsylvania town of Westfield. All of these areas were dealing with dangerous flooding, according to the National Weather Service.

• Tornado and flash flood warnings for DC: Several tornado warnings were issued for the Washington, DC, area including one near Reagan National Airport just after 8:20 a.m. The warning was cancelled less than 20 minutes later, but underscored how quickly Debby’s threats ramp up. Multiple flash flood warnings were issued for the greater area with rain falling at extreme rates of more than 1 inch every 20 minutes. Torrential rain quickly ponded on roadways and caused issues for public transportation in the area. Multiple lines of the district’s Metrorail service were experiencing delays due to flooding .

• Water rescues in waterlogged South Carolina: Debby fed gushing rain over parts of South Carolina overnight, prompting dozens of water rescues north of Charleston, according to local officials. At least 26 water rescues occurred in Berkeley County as of Friday morning, emergency management spokesperson Jenna-Lee Walls told CNN. Most were around Moncks Corner, about 30 miles north of Charleston, where a rare flash flood emergency was issued. The area received almost 9 inches of rain in six hours, with 2 to 3 feet of fast-moving water on roads, the National Weather Service said. No serious injuries were reported. Roadways in and around the area remained seriously flooded Friday morning.

• State of emergency in Virginia: Frederick County, Virginia, was under a state of emergency Friday morning due to flooding that forced multiple water rescues, officials said. The area is around 60 miles west of Washington, DC, and tucked into the Appalachians. The elevated terrain makes it more susceptible to higher rainfall totals from Debby.

• More than 30 million people under flood alerts: Heavy rainfall is spreading from central Pennsylvania through central New York and will overspread more of New England through the afternoon and evening as the region faces a significant threat of flooding, especially in high-terrain areas. The flood threat is being compounded by underlying wet conditions from a flooding event earlier this week. More than 30 million people are under some level of flood alert, stretching over 900 miles from Georgia to New York and northern New England. Rainfall associated with Debby will quickly be exiting northern New England by Saturday morning.

• 13 million people under tornado watch: A tornado watch is in effect until 10 p.m. EDT for more than 13.5 million people in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

• Death toll ticks upward: A 78-year-old woman was found dead Thursday after a tree fell on her trailer in Rockingham, North Carolina, which was under a tornado watch earlier that day, a county sheriff said. Earlier Thursday, a man was found dead in North Carolina’s Wilson County after his home collapsed during a tornado spawned by Debby, a county official said. At least five other storm-related deaths have been reported: Four people in Florida and one in Georgia.

Three kids rescued from Raleigh creek amid Debby flooding

Debby has dumped more than a foot of rain over parts of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas this week, triggering flooding that has prompted water rescues as some people became trapped in homes and vehicles as murky floodwaters rose around them.

Three children in Raleigh, North Carolina, were rescued Thursday after slipping into the rushing waters of a creek that had been fed by Debby’s rainfall, local fire officials said.

The children – 11-year-old Andrew; his 8-year-old sister, Evelyn; and their friend – told CNN affiliate WRAL they had been trying to cross the creek while playing but were caught off guard by the swift-moving water. When rescue personnel arrived, the kids were hanging on to a tree branch.

“It was very scary because the water – it was just rushing on and there were a bunch of sticks and they were hitting us. And it was really scary because at the end, (my friend) was barely holding on,” Evelyn told WRAL.

Another child who had safely crossed the creek was able to call 911. “The rescue team came just in time,” Evelyn said.

“These kids were very lucky today!” the Raleigh Fire Department said on X . “We know creeks & rivers will be high today, which makes them very dangerous. Please stay safe, Raleigh!”

Raleigh had seen 5.35 inches of rain from Debby as of Thursday night, and other parts of North Carolina have received more than a foot of rain, including more than 15 inches in Kings Grant and 11.94 inches in Wilmington.

CNN’s Rebekah Riess, Amanda Musa, Sharif Paget, Andy Rose and Monica Garrett contributed to this report.

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