Tropical Storm Debby, which has already dropped more than a foot of rain in parts of the South and is expected to deliver more, made her second landfall in the United States early Thursday, crossing again into South Carolina.
The storm, which had gusts of 50 mph, made landfall in Bulls Bay, South Carolina, according to a National Hurricane Center report issued at 2 a.m. ET.
At 7 a.m. on Monday, it made landfall in Steinhatchee in Florida’s Big Bend area as a Category 1 hurricane.
“The big story with Debby is going to continue to be the rainfall,” National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan said in a 5 p.m. Wednesday update.
According to official statistics, six people have died as a result of the hurricane, five of them in Florida. Another individual has died in Georgia. The majority of the fatalities were from fallen trees.
Debby issued tornado warnings for areas of North Carolina early Thursday. Wilson County authorities reported a tornado struck shortly before 3 a.m. and “heavily damaged” Springfield Middle School in Lucama, as well as four residences and a church.
The storm is moving slowly and is not expected to leave North Carolina until Thursday night or Friday. It is predicted to weaken more as it travels onshore.
“We expect this storm to continue its slow, gradual approach, bringing multiple days of heavy rainfall and the potential for widespread and severe flash flooding,” North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said on Wednesday. Parts of the state might get 15 inches of rain.
While the storm’s core made landfall, its impact was extensive. At roughly 5 p.m., the storm was still out at sea near South Carolina, influencing weather from Florida to the Carolinas and into the mid-Atlantic states, according to Brennan.
The National Weather Service said that by early Tuesday, the hamlet of Parrish, Florida, some 20 miles southeast of St. Petersburg, had received about 19 inches of rain. Sarasota received a foot of rain, and authorities recorded hundreds of rescues around Sarasota County.
On Tuesday, an EF-1 tornado connected with the tropical storm’s outer rain band destroyed roofs of residences on South Carolina’s Isle of Palms, according to the meteorological service. Overall, 29 residences were damaged by winds or fallen trees, according to the report.
Another EF-1 tornado linked to the storm slammed Edisto Island on Monday with 90 mph winds, according to the NOAA. It tore down trees and took off a portion of a home’s roof.
Debby is expected to accelerate toward the north over eastern South Carolina and central North Carolina through Thursday night, then travel faster toward the northeast across the mid-Atlantic on Friday and Atlantic Canada on Saturday, according to the hurricane center.
It is expected to become a tropical depression. Thursday afternoon/evening.