Debby bringing heavy rain, flooding and possible tornadoes northeast into the weekend
LUCAMA, NC — The remains of Debby On Friday, it picked up speed as it moved north and northeast from the Carolinas, continuing to bring heavy rain, flash flooding and the threat of tornadoes.
The Mid-Atlantic states and parts of New York and New England will see significant rainfall that could cause dangerous flooding into the weekend, including on stretches of Interstate 95 near larger cities, said Jon Porter, Accuweather’s chief meteorologist. An active line of tornadoes is possible from eastern Virginia to Vermont on Friday, he said.
“There will be multiple threats in Debby’s final chapter, and it’s a dangerous one,” he said.
The already soaked parts of northern Vermont who were affected by flash floods twice last month we braced ourselves for the possibility of more on Friday. Flooding that hit the northeastern part of the state on July 30 bridges blown out, homes destroyed and damaged, and roads washed away in the rural town of Lyndon. It happened three weeks after after deadly floods in the north and central parts of the state by the remnants of Hurricane Beryl.
Debby was a tropical depression late Thursday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center said. It made landfall early monday on the Gulf Coast of Florida as a Category 1 hurricane. Debby then made landfall in South Carolina for the second time early Thursday morning as a tropical storm.
At least seven people associated with Debby have died.
On Thursday, tornadoes spawned by Debby destroyed homes, damaged a school and killed one person. the tropical system caused heavy rainfall and flooding in towns across the Carolinas.
It took just 15 seconds for a tornado to destroy Genesis Cooper’s home in Lucama, North Carolina, a small town about 40 miles (64 kilometers) east of Raleigh. He nearly slept through it — except for a notification on his wife’s phone.
He, his wife and their 20-year-old son were in a bathroom covered in blankets. They felt vibrations and heard glass breaking before hearing a sudden bang.
“I can’t even describe it. It’s like suction, that’s what it felt like,” Cooper said. “Like something is squeezing, like your ears are popping.”
The tornado was one of at least three reported in North Carolina, and perhaps the most destructive. One person was found dead in a home damaged by the Lucama tornado, Wilson County spokesman Stephen Mann said.
The Wilson County Schools superintendent confirmed damage to Springfield Middle School, with portions of the walls and roof missing or damaged.
Drone footage showed that parts of the school’s roof had been ripped off, exposing trusses and pipes. A section of wall had crumbled onto a soggy green lawn, which was littered with twisted pieces of metal roofing and shredded insulation.
Tornado warnings remained in effect Thursday night across North Carolina and Virginia. A tornado watch was in effect for more than 17 million people in parts of Washington, D.C., Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia until 7 a.m. Friday.
Meanwhile, a dam broke Thursday morning north of Fayetteville, North Carolina, as Debby flooded the area. Between 12 and 15 homes were evacuated, but no one was injured and no structures were damaged, Harnett County spokeswoman Desiree Patrick said.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said at a briefing Thursday that the state had activated more National Guard troops and added additional vehicles that can rescue people in floodwaters.
About 100 miles (161 kilometers) south of Lucama, officers in Bladenboro posted photos of a patrol car damaged by a fallen treeand also roads that had been washed away.
City residents helped fill sandbags on Wednesday before 3 feet (91 centimeters) of water poured into the city center overnight.
Forrest Lennon, owner of Diamond Dave’s Grill in Bladenboro, counted his blessings, even though 5 inches (13 centimeters) of floodwaters poured into the restaurant. He and his wife have owned the business since September. The previous owner said the building had 3 feet (0.91 m) of water during the last two major hurricanes, Matthew and Florence.
“It could have been a lot worse,” Lennon said, adding that they did everything they could to prepare for the storm.
More flooding was expected in North and South Carolina. Another 6 inches (15 centimeters) of rain could fall before Debby leaves those states. Parts of Maryland, upstate New York and Vermont could get similar rainfall towards the end of the weekendaccording to the weather service.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster warned Thursday that the effects of Debby are not completely over, as rainfall in North Carolina could swell rivers and cause flooding downstream.
“We’ve overcome some dangers, but there are still plenty,” McMaster said. “So don’t let your guard down yet.”
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Associated Press staff members include Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, Jeff Martin in Atlanta and freelance photographer Mic Smith in Isle of Palms, South Carolina.