How Debby will impact the Carolinas, and when

Hurricane Debby made landfall Monday in northern Florida as a Category 1 storm.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Debby has maximum sustained winds of 80 mph. The storm made landfall in Steinhatchee, a tiny community of less than 1,000 residents in the Big Bend area of Florida’s Gulf Coast.

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Though it made landfall in one of the least populated areas of Florida, forecasters warned heavy rain could spawn catastrophic flooding in Florida, South Carolina and Georgia. A tornado watch also was in effect for parts of Florida and Georgia on Monday.

Here in the Carolinas, we’ll be looking out for Debby’s remnants this week.

After the storm batters Florida, its remnants will likely move up over Georgia and the Carolinas, according to Severe Weather Center 9 . Some areas could see nearly 2 feet of rain.

We will not be getting anywhere close to that much rain near Charlotte, but some steadier downpours are possible from Debby later this week. It all depends on where the storm ends up.

Unfortunately, there isn’t any clear consensus in the model data. Some data suggest we see up to 4 to 7 inches of rain, others show much less.

One thing we know for sure is that our southern areas hold the greatest risk for rain from Debby. The farther north you live from Charlotte, the less likely you see rain.

We’ll hopefully have a more clear picture Monday night and Tuesday.

The added moisture will likely keep our temperatures somewhat cooler.

Pay attention to the updates over the next few days because this forecast could change dramatically.

SC governor declares State of Emergency

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster declared a State of Emergency in the Palmetto State ahead of Debby.

McMaster issued the executive order Sunday and asked South Carolinians to take proper precautions ahead of the storm.

“Team South Carolina is closely monitoring Tropical Storm Debby and has begun preparing for its potential impact on our state,” McMaster said in a statement. “With a potentially significant rainfall event forecast for the next few days, it is critical that residents in potentially affected areas start making preparations and plans today—in case it is necessary to take quick action.”

The storm is expected to slow down, impacting South Carolina early this week, reads a news release from the governor’s office. It will bring heavy rain resulting in life-threatening flash flooding as well as urban and river flooding. Strong winds and storm surges can also be expected.

On Saturday, McMaster posted on social media that South Carolina would provide assistance to Florida.

In the post on X , formerly Twitter, McMaster said the state’s National Guard would activate 70 service members, deploy 30 high-water vehicles, and provide additional resources as needed.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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