Tropical Storm Debby is flooding the Southeast, and it’s barely moving

By Ayana Archie,

Published August 6, 2024 at 5:35 AM EDT

A person looks at a flooded street caused by the rain and storm surge from Hurricane Debby on August 05, 2024, in Cedar Key, Fla. Hurricane Debby is now moving slowly over Georgia, bringing heavy rain storms and high winds along the coast.

Updated August 06, 2024 at 14:59 PM ET

Tropical Storm Debby is creeping over land with winds that would never make headlines. But the storm’s slow movement is adding to the devastating impact of its heavy rains, as it inundates already-soaked areas of Georgia, South Carolina and Florida.

With the storm predicted to meander along the coast, this week’s rainfall could be "historic" — measured in feet, not inches, in some areas, according to forecasts.

Debby was creeping along at 5 mph as of 2 p.m. ET Tuesday, with its center located about 10 miles southeast of Savannah, Ga., the National Hurricane Center said. It’s expected to move east and cross over Georgia's coast and into the Atlantic Ocean later Tuesday, where it will begin an unusual zig-zag motion, eventually veering westward toward the South Carolina coast.

The forecast track of Tropical Storm Debby shows the storm moving very slowly as it crosses back over open water before making landfall in South Carolina.<br> — The forecast track of Tropical Storm Debby shows the storm moving very slowly as it crosses back over open water before making landfall in South Carolina.

The storm “is expected to produce potentially historic rainfall totals of 10 to 20 inches, with maximum amounts of 25 inches” in parts of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, the NHC said on Tuesday, warning of the threat of “catastrophic flooding.”

Flash flood warnings have been issued to a number of coastal and low-lying inland communities, from the Savannah, Ga., area to South Carolina's Beaufort, Hilton Head and Charleston, S.C., according to the National Weather Service office in Charleston.

The effects — including washed-out roads and compromised dams — will likely be similar to recent storms such as Hurricane Florence, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said on Tuesday.

"We're confident there's gonna be flooding. We're confident there's gonna be a lot of rain," McMaster said in a news briefing. "The only question is, how much is it gonna be?"

#TSDebby flooding in the Lowcountry in Walterboro where Ivanhoe Rd. & Ireland Creek Rd. are closed due to an overflowing Ireland Creek.
A code RED message was distributed early this morning for the residents of Ivanhoe Apartments adjacent to Ireland Creek to seek higher ground. pic.twitter.com/AU3UkmGDEH
— Gavin Jackson (@GavinJackson) August 6, 2024

In Colleton County, S.C., emergency officials warned that the McGrady Dam might fail, urging residents who live in the affected area to evacuate immediately, according to South Carolina Public Radio.

Debby's forward progress will be painfully slow. The NHC says its center will reach the South Carolina shore around midday Thursday. It will remain in the state into Friday, before regaining momentum.

More than 14 inches of rain has already fallen in the inland South Carolina community of Green Pond, with nearby Edisto Beach seeing nearly 12 and a half inches since 8 a.m. Saturday, according to the latest rainfall totals.

Lakewood Ranch, Fla., northeast of Sarasota, recorded 17.6 inches of rain — one of several places that saw more than a foot of rainfall.

As Debby moves on, parts of Florida stand to receive a few more inches of rain. Farther north, the mid-Atlantic and New England could also see flooding through Sunday morning.

Tropical Storm Debby is forecast to cross the Georgia shore over the Atlantic Ocean, before making a second landfall on the South Carolina coast this week.

As of Tuesday, the storm’s predicted track takes it back ashore just north of Charleston on a north-northwest path. After nearing the middle of South Carolina, Debby is expected to veer to the north-northeast, moving toward Raleigh and Durham, N.C.

Debby will regain strength and intensity over the Atlantic, powered by very warm waters of more than 84 degrees Fahrenheit. But it’s not expected to regain hurricane status before making landfall again.

The NHC forecasts a storm surge to range between 2 to 4 feet in a broad area from Altamaha Sound, Ga., to Cape Fear, N.C.

A tornado watch has been issued for parts of North Carolina and South Carolina until 5 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/NZgtaoHBex
— NWS Charleston, SC (@NWSCharlestonSC) August 6, 2024

Nearly 2 million people also face the threat of tornadoes: Early Tuesday, the National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for a region stretching from below Charleston to above Wilmington, N.C., lasting until 5 p.m. ET.

Debby made landfall early Monday as a category 1 hurricane, touching down on Florida's Big Bend coastline about 5 miles west of the community of Steinhatchee.

The frequency of intense and destructive tropical storms and hurricanes has been linked to climate change. As NOAA has stated, “Warming of the surface ocean from human-induced climate change is likely fueling more powerful tropical cyclones.”