Tropical Storm Debby will bring rain and potential flash flooding to Charlotte

Tropical Storm Debby will bring rain and the likelihood of flash flooding to a large part of North Carolina, with Charlotte impacts peaking on Thursday.

Threat level: The heaviest rainfall is expected to come tomorrow, with wind gusts between 30-40mph, WBTV chief meteorologist Al Conklin says.

Catch up quick: Debby made landfall Monday morning around Florida's Big Bend as a Category 1 hurricane.

• "Debby will continue to meander just off the South Carolina coast today before making a landfall just north of Charleston late tonight," Conklin says.
• North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency Monday.

What to expect: WBTV meteorologists predict three to six inches of rain along the I-77 corridor.

• The greatest impacts will unfold south and east of Charlotte, Conklin says, and a Flood Watch is in place.
• WBTV, Axios' news partner, has a First Alert Weather Day in play for Thursday when Debby is forecast to move over our area.

The big picture: Climate change causes tropical storms and hurricanes to produce more rainfall than they used to, and some studies show that these storms are now moving more slowly after landfall than in previous decades as well, Axios' Andrew Freedman reports .

• Plus climate change is causing rising sea levels, which yields more destructive storm surges. Coastal population growth has put more people in harm's way .

Go deeper: Axios New Orleans guide to making a prep kit for hurricane season

Editor's note: This story was originally published on Aug. 5 and was last updated on Aug. 7.