Tropical Storm Debby has made a second landfall as it dumped more rain on coastal South and North Carolina, exacerbating fears of flash flooding in areas already soaked by the slow-moving weather system.
The storm came ashore again on Thursday near Bulls Bay, South Carolina, three days after slamming into Florida's Gulf Coast as a Category 1 hurricane, then travelling across northern Florida and Georgia to the Atlantic Coast.
The National Hurricane Center downgraded Debby to a tropical depression, as its wind speeds eased upon making landfall, with gusts hitting maximum speeds of 55km/h.
Tropical Depression — National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) #Debby Advisory 26: Major Flood Threat Continues For Portions of the Carolinas And Western Virginia. Future Advisories Will Be Issued By the Weather Prediction Center. https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJAugust 8, 2024
Debby, which has killed at least seven people, was located about 70km east of Charlotte, North Carolina, late on Thursday afternoon. The NHC said Debby could spawn a few tornadoes in North Carolina and Virginia later Thursday and early Friday, including in an area south of Washington DC.
In the coming days, Debby was forecast to soak through Maryland, Washington, upstate New York and Vermont, although rainfall totals will be moderate.
By the weekend, Debby could produce up to 15cm of rain from Maryland into northern Vermont. But New York City will avoid the worst of the storm.