CHARLESTON, S.C. (NewsNation) — Tropical Strom Debby, blamed for at least six deaths across the Southeast, has submerged communities in parts of Florida and Georgia.
Now over the Atlantic Ocean, the system is expected to bring heavy rain to the coastal Carolinas before moving north.
The storm has already caused tornadoes and waist-high floodwaters. Forecasts predict Debby could regain strength and move inland near Charleston, South Carolina, by late Wednesday or early Thursday.
Flooding may persist in South Carolina as Tropical Storm Debby moves north
As of 8 a.m. Wednesday, Debby was about 50 miles southeast of Charleston, the National Hurricane Center reported, with maximum winds of 45 mph and moving northeast at 4 mph.
A major flood threat remains for parts of the Carolinas, the center said. Winds of at least 39 mph extend up to 175 miles from the center of the storm.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said Tuesday that Debby hasn’t been less severe than expected but warned flooding could continue long after the slow-moving system moves on.
Debby was moving slowly offshore and could bring 10-15 inches of rain to northern South Carolina and southern North Carolina. The rainfall might lead to prolonged flooding, potentially affecting homes and businesses for up to two weeks.
The same rural areas were devastated by huge floods during Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Florence in 2018.
“This happened during Hurricane Ian … but it wasn’t this bad. The fire department did come down here. My grandma lives next door to me, they said that she needed to evacuate, her house would flood before mine. They came and she left, but obviously, we’re still here,” Bryleigh Lynch, a Huger, South Carolina, resident told NewsNation.
No deaths or injuries have been reported in South Carolina since Debby first hit the state Monday.
Sixth storm-related death reported
The death toll from the storm rose to six after Brian Clough, a 48-year-old from Gulfport, Florida, was found dead after his partially sunk sailboat was spotted with his dog aboard, WTSP-TV reported.
He had anchored his boat about 50 feet from the shore, according to the Gulfport Police Department.
Previously, four storm-related deaths had been reported in Florida and one in Georgia.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.