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    Tropical Storm Debby live updates: Dangerous flooding ongoing for Southeast

    By Emily ShapiroKevin ShalveyBill HutchinsonMeredith Deliso,

    2 days ago

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4GabAy_0unIid9T00

    Tropical Storm Debby is slamming the Southeast with heavy rain after making landfall in Florida as a Category 1 hurricane on Monday.

    At least six people have been killed in Florida and Georgia.

    Latest Developments

    Aug 6, 11:18 PM

    Debby is slowly moving eastward offshore

    Tropical Storm Debby is slowly moving eastward offshore the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina.

    Debby is moving east at 5 mph while max sustained winds remain at 40mph, with its center currently about 50 miles east of Savannah, Georgia, as of 11 p.m. ET.

    Tornado Watch remains in effect across eastern South Carolina and North Carolina, from Myrtle Beach to Morehead City until 1 a.m. ET.

    Flood Watches remain in effect from Georgia to Virginia as bands of heavy rain will continue through the night.

    Debby will be back over open water tonight and could gain a bit more strength over the next 24 hours, but is forecast to remain at tropical storm intensity.

    A second landfall is expected in South Carolina Wednesday evening or early Thursday morning.

    ABC News' Melissa Griffin

    Aug 6, 5:44 PM

    6 killed including 2 kids

    At least six people have been killed from Debby, authorities said.

    A 13-year-old boy was killed when a tree fell on a mobile home Monday morning in Levy County, Florida, which encompasses Cedar Key, according to the Levy County Sheriff’s Office.

    "Our thoughts and prayers are with this family as they deal with this tragedy," the sheriff’s office said in a statement. "We encourage everyone to use extreme caution as they begin to assess and clean up the damage. Downed powerlines and falling trees are among the many hazards."

    In Hillsborough County, Florida, which encompasses Tampa, a driver of a semi was killed when the truck went into a canal off Interstate 275 Monday morning, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3WCthR_0unIid9T00
    Florida Highway Patrol via AP - PHOTO: The cab of a tractor trailer is raised from a bridge on Interstate 75 near Tampa, Fla., Aug. 5, 2024, after the truck collided with a concrete wall, flipped over the wall, and was left dangling from the bridge.

    Deputies recovered the semi and found the driver dead inside the cab, authorities said.

    In Dixie County, Florida, a driver “lost control due to the inclement weather and wet roadway” on Sunday night, crashing into the center median guardrail and then overturning the car, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

    The driver, a 38-year-old woman, and a passenger, a 12-year-old boy, were killed, authorities said.

    Another passenger, a 14-year-old boy, was seriously injured, the highway patrol said.

    In Gulfport, Florida, a 48-year-old man died after he tried to ride out the storm on his sailboat which was anchored off Gulfport’s Veteran’s Park, police said, according to ABC Tampa affiliate WFTS.

    In Moultrie, Georgia, a 19-year-old man was struck and killed by a fallen tree while he was inside a home on Monday, according to Moultrie police.

    Aug 6, 5:35 PM

    What to expect Tuesday evening

    Debby is moving at just 3 mph, with its center located about 10 miles east of Savannah, Georgia, as of 5 p.m. ET.

    Tornadoes are possible in South Carolina and North Carolina on Tuesday night.

    After a day of heavy rainfall, the coastal cities of Savannah and Charleston, South Carolina, could see a few more inches of rain this week. Both cities are under flash flood warnings.

    But going forward, the worst of the rain will be focused further north. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Wilmington, North Carolina; and Lumberton, North Carolina, are forecast to get hit the hardest over the next 24 to 36 hours.

    Aug 6, 5:07 PM

    More than 1,100 flights canceled

    More than 1,100 flights have been canceled within, into or out of the U.S. on Tuesday as Debby slams the Southeast and thunderstorms strike the Northeast. Ground stops are in place at the New York City area's three airports.

    Aug 6, 3:23 PM

    South Carolina braces for severe flooding

    The threat of severe flooding is very high across South Carolina with Tropical Storm Debby "creeping across our state," South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster warned on Tuesday.

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1fl6Vy_0unIid9T00
    Mic Smith/AP - PHOTO: Pedestrians make their way down Montagu St. in Charleston, S.C., as Tropical Storm Debby approaches, Aug. 6, 2024.

    The rain from the slow-moving storm may be particularly heavy from Myrtle Beach to the North Carolina border, the governor said.

    Forty-eight state roads are closed due to flooding and 50 high-water vehicles are at the ready to respond, he said.

    Aug 6, 3:17 PM

    Latest forecast

    The highest rain total so far is south of Tampa, Florida, where about 19 inches of rain fell.

    In Georgia, more than 11 inches of rain struck northwest of Savannah, and in South Carolina, 14 inches of rain was recorded between Charleston and Hilton Head Island.

    On Tuesday afternoon, Debby is located about 10 miles southeast of Savannah and is crawling north at a very slow speed.

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=00KnOM_0unIid9T00
    ABC News - PHOTO: Tropical Storm Debby Forecast Track Map

    The heavy rain will stretch from Charleston to Wilmington, North Carolina, on Tuesday. Storm surge could reach 4 feet from Savannah to Cape Fear, North Carolina, and tornadoes are possible.

    Flash flood warnings are in effect for Savannah, Charleston and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Rainfall rates could reach 1 to 2 inches per hour during the heaviest downpours, which will bring more flooding.

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0HuOqg_0unIid9T00
    ABC News - PHOTO: Flash Flood Threat through Thursday Map

    The worst of the rain is expected along the South Carolina-North Carolina border through Thursday evening. A rare "high risk" for flash flooding was issued from Charleston to Raleigh, North Carolina, where rain totals could climb to 25 inches through Thursday.

    Click here to read more.

    Aug 6, 1:54 PM

    More than 90,000 customers without power in Florida

    More than 90,000 customers remain without power in Florida, more than 24 hours after Debby tore through the state.

    "Restoration is taking longer in areas with flooding and heavy vegetation, as crews must wait for the water to recede and clear through debris before they can restore power," Florida Power & Light said Tuesday morning. "Rest assured, we’ll continue working until everyone who can safely receive power is restored. Avoid these flooded areas and stay away from downed power lines."

    Aug 6, 10:39 AM

    Charleston’s curfew extended as city faces flash flood warning

    A curfew in Charleston, South Carolina, has been extended to 7 a.m. Wednesday as the flood-prone city braces for potentially life-threatening flooding.

    "Residents are advised to stay off the roads unless there is an urgent emergency," the Charleston Fire Department said.

    Charleston is under a flash flood warning. Up to 1 foot of rain has already fallen in the city, with more to come.

    Aug 5, 11:44 PM

    Debby to bring historic 10-20 inches of rainfall: Forecast

    Despite weakening since moving over land, Debby is still maintaining its tropical storm status, producing maximum sustained wind speeds of 45 mph.

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3vkMB6_0unIid9T00
    Ricardo Arduengo/Reuters - PHOTO: A boat partially sunk as Hurricane Debby affects the gulf coast in Suwannee, Fla., Aug. 5, 2024.

    As of 11 p.m. ET, over 150,000 customers in Florida and Georgia are still without power, according to PowerOutage.us .

    With Debby's center about 35 miles west of Brunswick, Georgia, much of the heavy rain and showers have since moved out of Florida (except for the extreme northeastern corner of the state closer to the Georgia border). However, with the storm slowing down even more, Debby will stay stuck over the Southeast for the better part of this week, meandering over Georgia and the Carolinas.

    Even though the storm is expected to weaken a bit more overnight, Debby is still expected to bring historic rainfall and life-threatening flooding to portions of southeastern Georgia and the coastal areas of the Carolinas over the next few days. Rainfall totals from this event are expected to reach between 10 and 20 inches.

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4Vr4M7_0unIid9T00
    Octavio Jones/Reuters - PHOTO: Parts of Grange Fall Loop flooded making in Wimauma after Hurricane Debby continues to move north of central Florida, Aug. 5, 2024.

    Already, portions of southeastern Georgia and South Carolina have seen between 3 to 6 inches of rainfall, but with rainfall rates of 1.5 to 3 inches per hour possible, flood alerts remain in effect.

    A Flash Flood Warning was issued for Charleston, South Carolina, where rainfall rates between 1.5 and 2.5 inches are expected. Ongoing or new flooding is expected, with an additional 2 to 4 inches of rain possible over the next few hours.

    As onshore flow continues, storm surge remains an issue in Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina. Storm surge alerts remain in effect up the Georgia and Carolina coastlines.

    Rainfall aside, Debby could also generate some spin-up tornadoes as it swirls over the Georgia-South Carolina border tonight. As a result, a Tornado Watch also remains in effect for parts of southeastern Georgia and South Carolina until 1 a.m. ET.

    Over the next 48 hours, Debby is expected to meander back over the Atlantic but will continue to hug the coastline before heading back inland over the Carolinas again. Slight strengthening can't entirely be ruled out as it moves back over water, but ultimately, Debby is expected to weaken once it moves back inland. Strength aside, it will still bring significant rainfall to portions of the Southeast, which will likely lead to catastrophic flooding in some areas.

    Debby is expected to eventually drift toward the north/northeast by the end of the week into the weekend. As it heads north, it will likely weaken to a tropical depression or remnant low. Regardless, heavy rainfall is still expected up the I-95 corridor heading into this weekend.

    -ABC News meteorologist Shawnie Caslin Martucci

    Aug 5, 9:26 PM

    Power returns to some Florida customers as Debby moves northeast

    As of Monday evening, 146,034 customers are without power in Florida, according to the latest update from a U.S. power outage map.

    This marks an improvement from Monday morning, which saw nearly 300,000 customers without power at 9:50 a.m. ET, the height of outages across the state.

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=175aVZ_0unIid9T00
    ABC News - PHOTO: The threat of dangerous flooding continues at least through the middle of the week.

    During a press conference in Tallahassee Monday morning, Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state's emergency department had 17,000 linemen working to restore power in the wake of the storm.

    "We have a lot of restoration personnel ready to go," DeSantis said.

    Click here to read the rest of the blog.
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