Tropical Storm Debby, which made landfall on Florida’s Big Bend coast on Monday morning, is expected to bring prolonged downpours and flooding to the area throughout Tuesday. The storm's record-setting rain has killed at least four people in Florida and one in Georgia. Some historic cities are hopeful that their fishing piers will hold up after recent renovations after the past year’s storms.
According to the National Hurricane Center, Debby was expected to move offshore of the Georgia coast later Tuesday. As of 8 a.m. on Tuesday, the center of the storm was about 20 miles southwest of Savannah, Georgia, and 105 miles southwest of Charleston, South Carolina, and moving northeast at nine mph with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph. CBS forecasters have warned of major flood threats to parts of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia over the next few days.
The storm is expected to slow even more as it heads northeast as the day goes on. Over the past years, hurricanes have impacted at least four piers along Horry and Georgetown, South Carolina counties. Cherry Grove Pier was one of the damaged piers. It just finished repairs and fully reopened in July. The Sun News reported that the pier was rebuilt higher than before to lessen the chance of storm surge. The owner of Pier 14 in Myrtle Beach told sources that he was considering closing the pier for a day due to Debby, but they had no plans of conducting any intensive preparation work ahead of the storms.
Through midweek, the National Hurricane Center forecast tropical storm conditions to spread northward along the southeastern coast of the U.S. from Florida to North Carolina. They urged people in parts of Florida that Debby passed through on Monday to beware of “deadly hazards left in its wake,” including flood areas and powerlines.
Due to the storm's slow movement, rainfall totals along its path will be substantial. Over the weekend, the storm’s course looks like it will head toward the Gulf of Maine and coastal parts of Nova Scotia at 2 a.m. Sunday. New York has issued a flood watch for coastal areas from Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday morning for potential flash flooding.
News sources have warned locals and visitors to be prepared for heavy rain and winds as Debby moves up the coast. According to the National Hurricane Center, “Debby is expected to meander near the South Carolina coast during the next couple of days.”
