Power outages, tornadoes and rescues. Debby heads out of NC, but flooding concerns remain
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Debby’s impact on the Triangle & NC
Tropical Storm Debby drenches the Triangle and North and South Carolina. By Thursday afternoon, it was downgraded to a tropical depression. Here are stories on the impact of the storm.
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Tropical Storm Debby was downgraded to a tropical depression around 4:30 p.m. Thursday, signifying that the cyclone’s wind speeds are slowing down.
However, a flood threat continues for parts of the Carolinas and western Virginia, according to the National Hurricane Center.
A large chunk of North Carolina is under a high or moderate risk of flash flooding through Friday morning. But after that, the risk decreases to a slight or marginal risk through Saturday morning.
However, the National Weather Service in Raleigh cautions that there is an ongoing hazard of flooding through the weekend as rivers in Central North Carolina won’t crest until Friday or Saturday.
A tornado watch is in effect for much of central and northeastern North Carolina through 7 a.m. Friday, including Wake, Durham, Franklin and Johnston counties.
Thursday night, the National Weather Service confirmed a tornado was identified near Henderson, north of Wake County, at 7:13 p.m., moving north at 40 mph.
Tropical Storm Debby made its second landfall Thursday morning, moving into South Carolina and beginning its still-slow trek into North Carolina.
After 2 p.m., the storm had moved into North Carolina, crossing into Anson County. Before the storm’s arrival, several secondary roads in the rural county had closed due to flooding or downed trees.
The Anson County Sheriff’s Office asked people to stay home if possible.
“Some of these locations can be dangerous and you could be on top of a flooded area or downed tree before you realize it,” the sheriff’s office said on Facebook.
Triangle school systems announce another day of closures
Area school systems changed their schedules for a second day on Friday, Aug. 9.
- Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools will be closed Friday. The district made the announcement at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, saying school system facilities teams are checking buildings and grounds for safety, damage and other storm-related issues.
- Orange County Schools also made the decision to close Friday “due to the ongoing and potential future affects of Tropical Storm Debby.”
Durham Public Schools are closed Friday. All after-school activities and athletics are also canceled.
- Wake County Public Schools will operate on a two-hour delay on Friday. That includes on-campus programs before school.
Dramatic rescue in Raleigh
Three Raleigh children got trapped in fast-moving water Thursday, hanging by a tree branch while Tropical Storm Debby turned a backyard creek into a set of churning rapids.
The kids held tightly there for about 30 minutes, unable to cross, until a swift-water team from the Raleigh Fire Department could pluck them from the water and place them safely inside an inflatable boat.
For more on the rescue, see this story.
— Josh Shaffer
Flooding expected around NC rivers and streams
Emergency managers have been watching river and stream levels, especially the Lumber, Neuse and Cape Fear Rivers, all of which are expected to see major flooding that will peak over the next several days.
The N.C. Flood Inundation Mapping and Alert Network, an interactive website residents and planners can use to see where flooding is predicted, showed 13 sites Thursday afternoon where major flooding is expected, most of them in central and eastern North Carolina.
Sugar Creek in Charlotte also is expected to flood since the track of the storm shifted slightly west of original projections. In the 24 hours ending at 3 p.m. Thursday, some parts of Charlotte had received more than 4 inches of rain, comparable to Raleigh.
— Martha Quillin
RDU, GSO airports log daily rainfall records
Raleigh-Durham International Airport saw a daily rainfall record, with 3.59 inches as of 2 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.
This is nearly an inch more than the previous record set in 1928. A new daily rainfall record was also set for Piedmont Triad International Airport — 3.46 inches.
Power outage at Pittsboro Water Plant
Residents of Pittsboro have been asked to conserve water, following a power outage Thursday afternoon at the Pittsboro Water Plant.
Crews are connecting a generator, according to a statement from the Pittsboro/Chatham County Water Utility Service.
Updates will be shared on social media and TriRiverWater.com.
Flooding affects 2 Chapel Hill condominium complexes
The heavy rain sent Bolin Creek over its banks Thursday at the Camelot Village condominium complex in Chapel Hill, where flooding is a regular occurrence during storms. In previous years, floodwaters reached up to four feet deep inside some of the units, which are among the last of Chapel Hill’s most affordable.
Residents of the buildings beside the creek got a knock on their door around 10 a.m., urging them to pack up and evacuate, said resident Tewana Powell. Property manager Barbara Duffy said one person who has disabilities was sheltering in the complex office, where pizzas were brought in to feed hungry residents and employees.
The management made changes after a flood in January required them to gut 38 units, adding legs to kitchen cabinets and installing more durable terrazzo floor tiles. Sandbags handed out to residents were taped to storm doors, and blue tarps covered exterior heating and ventilation units. Some residents added their own wood and metal barriers to the doorways.
Powell, who returned to her unit to pack some supplies during a break in the rain, said she appreciates the effort that management is making. She brought some pallets home from work to put under her furniture, she said.
“It was bad last time,” Powell said, as the water slowly started to recede. “Red Cross didn’t help us. We didn’t have no food. We didn’t have no shelter. It was terrible, so this time, I just decided to prepare myself for it.”
Rising floodwaters had completely cut off driveway access for residents of the Brookwood Condominiums next door, leaving them unable to get in or out.
— Tammy Grubb
N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper confirms 1 death caused by Debby, warns of more severe weather
One person in North Carolina has died as a result of a tornado associated with Tropical Storm Debby, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper confirmed in a release mid-day Thursday.
The Wednesday night tornado near Lucama, which caused the person’s death, also damaged several homes and a school in the area.
A diary barn owned by the Hunt family was among the structures affected by a tornado, State Sen. Rachel Hunt shared on social media. Her parents, former Gov. Jim Hunt and Carolyn Hunt, are safe, Hunt wrote.
While some areas of the Triangle may be seeing brighter skies, Cooper warned of more tornadoes, heavy rainfall, flash flooding and severe thunderstorms to come throughout Thursday.
Thirteen local shelters are open in Cumberland, Columbus, Bladen and Pender counties as of Thursday morning, and 28 counties have declared a state of emergency.
Voluntary evacuation orders have been issued for parts of Brunswick and Moore counties, and by Thursday afternoon, a shelter will be open in Moore County for anyone affected by the evacuation order.
About 100 road closures due to flooding, downed trees and downed power lines have been reported across the state, as of Thursday morning. More than 2,200 people from the North Carolina Department of Transportation are assigned to respond to the storm, The News & Observer previously reported.
Downed tree causes road closure in Raleigh
Raleigh police have blocked Anderson Drive between Glenwood Avenue and Wake Forest Road to clear a downed tree.
A dozen geese waddle together along Creekside Drive, near rising Crabtree Creek.
Still, city trucks collected trash.
— Josh Shaffer
Tree falls, creek overflows onto Crabtree Boulevard
Raleigh police blocked Crabtree Boulevard at Raleigh Boulevard, where a large oak fell across the street, and the nearby creek overflowed its banks.
Further south, the Crabtree Creek Greenway sat submerged under deep water at Milburnie Road. Also, a traffic signal was out at the busy Poole Road-Sunnybrook Road intersection.
— Josh Shaffer
Rain raises water levels in Walnut Creek, Crabtree Creek
Just before 10 a.m., Walnut Creek began pouring across Rose Lane, a notorious flood zone in Southeast Raleigh.
Meanwhile, Crabtree Creek began a steady rise, overflowing its banks at Wake Forest Road — another usual suspect for flooding.
Still, city trucks collected trash.
— Josh Shaffer
How much more rain can Debby bring?
The storm is expected to drop an additional 3 to 6 inches of rain across southeastern North Carolina through Friday, with locally higher amounts, forecasters say, bringing rainfall totals as high as 15 inches in some places.
The bulk of the remaining rainfall will come Thursday, forecasters say. Heavy rain bands could produce 1.5 to 2 inches of rain per hour, forecasters said, increasing the likelihood of flash flooding.
How strong are Debby’s winds?
The storm had maximum sustained winds of about 40 mph at mid-day Thursday, with higher gusts.
The storm is expected to continue to weaken some through the day Thursday, while also picking up forward speed.
By Friday, Debby should be downgraded to a tropical depression, forecasters say.
Since Debby’s rains have saturated the ground in most places, trees are likely to fall and some will take power lines with them.
Duke Energy reported more than 100,000 customers without power from Charlotte to the coast as of Thursday morning.
When will the storm be gone?
The center of Tropical Storm Debby is expected to pass through the middle of North Carolina Thursday and Thursday night. The center of the storm is expected to move into Virginia early Friday morning.
Central North Carolina will continue to see some effects of the storm Friday, with some showers and breezy conditions with wind gusts up to 21 mph.
Rainfall totals on Friday should be less than a half-inch expected in areas of strong thunderstorms.
Sunny skies should return on Saturday.
▪ NC residents can use this real-time tool to search where stream flooding is likely
▪ As Tropical Storm Debby arrives, NCDOT reports numerous flooded and blocked roads
▪ Check Tropical Storm Debby weather conditions in the Raleigh area with these live cams
▪ Debby is mostly likely to flood these spots in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill
Here’s the latest on power outages in NC as Tropical Storm Debby moves through the state
This story was originally published August 8, 2024 at 10:02 AM with the headline "Power outages, tornadoes and rescues. Debby heads out of NC, but flooding concerns remain."
