Carolinas brace for life-threatening flooding from Debby

As Debby continues to douse the eastern Carolinas with heavy rain, residents are preparing for flooding at the level of past infamous storms.

Residents of the Carolinas are bracing for what AccuWeather forecasters are calling "life-threatening flooding." Roads are closing, last-minute sandbagging has finished up, and curfews have been issued in some flood-prone locations.

South Carolina's Lowcountry residents woke up Tuesday morning to damage from powerful winds and at least three suspected tornadoes reported Monday night.

Charleston Mayor William Cogswell Jr. announced Tuesday that the city's curfew, initially implemented Monday night, will remain in effect until 7 a.m. Wednesday. As heavy rain continues to pummel the South Carolina coast, residents are urged to stay home and indoors.

"While I know this is frustrating to some, the reality is that no one should be out in these conditions unless it is an absolute emergency. Bottom line is we need you to stay home until this passes," Mayor Cogswell said at a press conference Monday evening.

President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for South Carolina Tuesday 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.

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.