ALERT: Debby brings flooding rains, tornado threat today to central NC

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Tropical Storm Debby impacts are being felt in central North Carolina Thursday morning with heavy rain and strong storms capable of producing spin-up tornadoes. The CBS 17 Storm Team Alert Day continues all day Thursday. Flooding rain, gusty winds, and isolated tornadoes are all expected.

A confirmed tornado happened in Wilson County around 2:51 a.m. in Lucama, causing extensive damage to homes and Springfield Middle School. A second tornado was confirmed east of Louisburg in Franklin County just after 8 a.m. Thursday morning.

The Tornado Watch has now been extended to run through 8 PM Thursday, as the threat will remain well into the day as inland rain bands push into our area. Durham, Person and Mecklenburg (VA) counties have also been added to the watch.

Debby made a second landfall this morning near Bulls Bay, SC with maximum sustained winds of 50 MPH and as of 2 p.m. was on its way crossing into North Carolina. The tropical storm has sustained winds of 40 miles per hour and is moving a little more quickly to the north-northwest at 10 miles per hour.

The most notable change to the track is Debby’s shifting a little to the west and a faster speed through our area, which led to forecast rain totals being lowered.

Debby is now expected to move out a little faster Friday morning, leading to dry weather and even some sunshine by Friday afternoon.

The greatest impact from Debby will be flooding. Wind gusts could reach between 30 and 40 mph at times on Thursday and Friday.

RAINFALL AMOUNTS

Rainfall totals will all depend on where the heaviest rain sets up, but generally, most areas will pick up between 2″ to 8″ through Friday morning, with localized higher amounts approaching 10″.

Soils are already saturated across much of the region, so flooding issues are elevated. The Weather Prediction Center still has most of central NC under a rare ‘extreme’ flood or high flash flood risk for Thursday, meaning flash flooding will be likely.

Gusty winds could also bring down some trees and powerlines, meaning power outages could become an issue in isolated amounts. Forecast wind gusts Friday are expected to be 30-40 m.p.h. with a low tornado threat, mainly in the early morning.

On Monday morning, Debby made landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida as a Category 1 Hurricane with winds of 80 mph.

For residents in Central North Carolina, a good hurricane preparedness plan includes having an emergency kit ready. This kit could contain non-perishable food, water, medications, flashlights, batteries, and important documents. It’s also wise to have cash on hand, as power outages can make electronic transactions difficult.

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