SOUTHEASTERN N.C. — The tri-county region has been placed under a tornado and tropical storm watch as Debby continues to churn off the coast of Georgia and crawls northeast toward the Cape Fear region.
READ MORE: Preparing for Debby’s approach
ALSO: Closures and cancellations due to storm threats from Debby
Early Tuesday, Debby was positioned 50 miles southwest of Savannah and 130 miles from Charleston, South Carolina. It’s moving at roughly 7 miles per hour, yet its storm-force winds extend 205 miles from the center, slated to shift offshore of the Georgia coast before moving inland over South Carolina Thursday.
The National Weather Service in Wilmington anticipates its slow northward trek toward the Cape Fear region by Thursday or Friday. Winds will pick up Wednesday night into Thursday regionwide.
NWS issued the tornado watch in effect until 5 p.m. on Tuesday in Bladen, New Hanover, Brunswick, Pender and Columbus Counties. It comes as the Cape Fear region is also under a tropical storm watch, which means winds up to 45 miles per hour could reach areas like Carolina and Wrightsville beaches in the next 48 hours. Outlying areas are anticipated to experience gusts up to 35 miles per hour.
Rainfall is the biggest factor to consider with Tropical Storm Debby. It has remained steady and could bring up to 20 inches of rain in some areas, though most will experience anywhere from 10 to 15 inches of rainfall.
Storm surge is expected to rise 2 feet above in low-lying areas, with high tides bringing most dangerous conditions. However, Surf City could experience up to 3 feet surge, while Calabash, Southport and Holden Beach are currently under a storm surge watch, with potentially 4 feet of water rising.
All areas in the region are now under an extreme risk of flash flooding during Debby’s downpour. Adding to impact are vulnerable grounds already wet from rainfall in the area pre-storm. This means trees could easily topple, affecting power outages, and roadways or surfaces may buckle or overwash due to saturated soil. All motorists should avoid driving during impact, as it only takes 6 inches of water to reach the bottom of most passenger cars, which can result in loss of control and possible stalling.
Gov. Roy Cooper issued a state of emergency on Monday evening due to the potential for “life-threatening flooding.”
“As the weather becomes more severe, I urge everyone to take precautions and stay safe,” Cooper wrote in a statement Monday.
His state of emergency executive order allows for the North Carolina Department of Transportation and the Department of Public Safety to execute needs more swiftly to handle power outages, ensure supplies — food, fuel, medicines — reach areas as needed, and to transport livestock and crops.
NCDOT has more than 2,000 employees ready to help, with vehicles and equipment fueled up, including 1,500 chainsaws and trucks, and nearly 600 backhoes, graders and front-end loaders. The department has thousands of road closure and high-water signs, as well as barricades, ready to deploy.
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