(Horseshoe Beach) Tropical Storm Debby flooded coastal cities in Georgia and South Carolina Tuesday, spawning tornadoes and flooding streets with waist-high floodwaters. And that’s just the beginning of a prolonged storm that could dump up to 25 inches (64 centimeters) of rain.
The cities of Charleston and Savannah received up to 12 inches of rain in just over 24 hours.
Dozens of roads have been closed in historic Charleston due to flooding similar to what occurs several times a year due to rising sea levels.
Charleston officials maintained the curfew, closing all roads leading to the downtown peninsula and allowing only essential workers and emergency personnel through. Mayor William Cogswell said the move meant the city didn’t have to conduct a rescue and protected businesses and homes from damage.
PHOTO MARCO BELLO, REUTERS ARCHIVES
A worker moves sandbags in the rain in River Street, Georgia, on August 5, 2024.
In one Savannah neighborhood, firefighters used boats Tuesday afternoon to evacuate some residents. They waded through waist-deep floodwaters to deliver bottled water and supplies to others who refused to leave.
Resident Michael Jones said rainstorms sent water pouring into his home Monday night, knocking over the refrigerator and floating furniture. Outside, the water seemed to be everywhere and was too deep to escape safely. So Jones spent a sleepless night on his kitchen table before door-to-door firefighters came to his house by boat Tuesday morning.
Emergency state
As Debby drifts offshore, heavy rains are expected to move northward into parts of South Carolina and North Carolina that have already experienced flooding that has caused $2 billion in damage over eight years.
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A home in Tybee Island, Georgia, on August 5, 2024.
Forecasters have warned that up to 15 inches (38 centimeters) of additional rain could come. Those totals are close to what the region saw during a historic flood from Hurricane Matthew in 2016. Then, two years later, rain and flooding from Hurricane Florence broke many of those records. Both storms killed dozens of people.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency Monday, and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared the same for his state Tuesday.
Several areas along the North Carolina coast are prone to flooding, such as Wilmington and the Outer Banks. Virginia could experience impacts such as high winds, heavy rains and flooding.
Debby’s center was 10 miles (16 kilometers) east of Savannah, the National Hurricane Center said in its 5 p.m. bulletin Tuesday. The storm was moving east-northeast at just 3 mph (5 km/h) and along the coast near Tybee Island, Georgia.
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Debris left behind by hurricane flooding Debby in Steinhatchee, Florida on August 5, 2024.
The storm was expected to move slowly out to sea, then reverse and return to shore Thursday near Charleston.
Rainfall records
Green Pond in rural Colleton County, South Carolina, reported the most rain so far since Debby, with just over 14 inches (36 centimeters). A nearby dam overflowed but did not collapse, while trees and runoff blocked a number of roads, Colleton County Deputy Fire Chief David Greene said.
Nearly 12 inches of rain was reported along the coast from Charleston to Savannah, where the National Weather Service reported 6.7 inches of precipitation on Monday alone. That’s already the equivalent of a month’s worth of rain in a single day: Over the entire month of August 2023, the city received 5.6 inches of rain.
The tornadoes toppled trees and damaged some homes on Kiawah and Edisto islands, between Savannah and Charleston. A Walmart, an Applebee’s and other businesses were damaged, and several vehicles overturned in Moncks Corner, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) inland from Charleston.
Deaths and damages
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A sinkhole opened on Grange Fall Loop in Wimauma, Florida, United States, August 5, 2024.
At least five people died as a result of the storm, either in road accidents or from falling trees.
On Monday, about 500 people were rescued from flooded homes in Sarasota, Florida, a popular beach town, local police said. Just north of Sarasota, Manatee County officials said 186 people were rescued from floodwaters.
State officials said it could be two weeks before staff can fully assess storm damage in parts of north-central Florida until river levels reach their highest.
More than 155,000 customers were without power in Florida and Georgia as of Tuesday morning, down from a peak of more than 350,000, according to PowerOutage.us and Georgia Electric Membership Corp. More than 20,000 others were without power in South Carolina as of early Tuesday.
President Joe Biden has approved emergency declarations making federal disaster aid available to Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
Debby is expected to accelerate on Thursday. The hurricane center predicts the system could move into central North Carolina, through Virginia and into the Washington, D.C., area by Saturday.