Tornado watch for parts of New York, New Jersey from Debby's remnants

NEW YORK – Remnants of Debby will reach New York and New Jersey on Friday, prompting a tornado watch for parts of the area.

The storm is expected to bring gusty winds and high surf, as well as flood risks in places already saturated from this week's rain .

CBS New York's First Alert Weather team is on Red Alert through Friday evening.

Tornado watch for Hudson Valley, inland New Jersey

A tornado watch has been issued for interior New Jersey, and for Sullivan and Orange counties in New York until 2 p.m. The risk is low – 2-5% – but it's a possibility in our western suburbs.

A flood watch is also in effect for the area until 1 a.m. Saturday. We are not anticipating a repeat of Tuesday's floating cars , but we could see some flooding, especially well north and west of New York City.

A wind advisory is also in place for New York City, Long Island, parts of the lower Hudson Valley, central and southern New Jersey and coastal Connecticut until 6 a.m. Saturday for gusts up to 50 miles per hour.

Finally, we have a high surf advisory and high rip current risk for all of our coastlines, with wave heights crashing on shore anywhere from 5 to 11 feet.

Where is Debby? Map shows latest storm track and timeline

Until 2 p.m. Friday: Fairly tame up to this point, some showers and clouds are expected. A few isolated downpours are possible, but mainly inland and north. An isolated tornado inland cannot be ruled out.

2 p.m. - 6 p.m. Friday: The skinny line progresses closer to the metro area. Crossing New Jersey, with heavier rain likely in the Hudson Valley, winds start to really pick up as Debby accelerates into New England.

6 p.m. - 11 p.m. Friday: The elongated front should pass the spine of our area during this time frame. Gusty winds, and severe thunderstorms are on the table.

11 p.m. - 4 a.m. Saturday: The line crossed Long Island and should clear pre-dawn. Gusty winds and severe storm risk.

4 a.m. - 8 p.m. Saturday: Skies clear and sunshine returns. The oceans should still be angry with those high seas possibly stealing the show.

The rest of the weekend looks great with sunny skies, and temps in the 80s.

Preparations underway for more rainfall, potential flooding

Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state is ready for another round of wet weather , with 100 National Guard members activated and ready to be deployed where necessary.

The New York City Emergency Management Department has issued a travel advisory for Friday, urging New Yorkers to be especially cautious during the afternoon and evening commutes.

"As Tropical Storm Debby accelerates to the west of us and threatens the area with heavy rain and potential flash flooding, we are once again mobilizing all resources to ensure the safety and well-being of every New Yorker," Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol said in a statement.

Emergency management also warns that areas in the Bronx, northern Manhattan and northern Queens may be the most vulnerable to flooding, since the ground is already heavily saturated from rain earlier this week.

The city Department of Environmental Protection handed out free flood prevention kits Thursday. They included inflatable flood walls, sump pumps and other hardware store staples.

The DEP said it's working on long-term projects to improve the sewage system , build rain gardens and fortify the city against intensifying rainfall , but those resiliency projects will take at least five years to complete.

"The climate is changing faster than we can build infrastructure, which is why this is an all-hands-on-deck moment," said city DEP commissioner Rohit Aggarwala.

The MTA is also preparing for potential weather-related issues, such as flooding and downed trees on tracks. Thursday, crews cleared track drains and checked subway water pumps at the South Ferry station in Lower Manhattan.

"I feel confident that we've inspected our equipment. We inspected our track trains. We inspected our known flood areas, so we should have a smooth transition into the storm with no issues," said MTA chief infrastructure officer Armando Crespo.

Up in Westchester County , crews raced the rain to repair a sinkhole in Port Chester that formed when Tuesday's downpour undermined the ground soil and caused the road to buckle.

Over in New Jersey , workers cut away at downed trees uprooted from ground still saturated after Tuesday's storm.