It’s been a rainy few days in the Columbia area, but Tropical Storm Debby is far from over.
The rain from the storm stopped Wednesday morning in the Columbia area, but don’t let that fool you. A few more inches of rain are expected through Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
Debby remained near the South Carolina coast Wednesday morning, causing a break in the rain, the NWS says. However, the slow-moving storm is expected to move back into the state, increasing rainfall tonight and Thursday in the Columbia area.
“Really tonight we will start to see heavy rain return to the Columbia area,” said Chris Rohrbach, NWS meteorologist in Columbia.
Rain in the Columbia Area by Debby
Rohrbach said rain totals from Debby varied widely in the Columbia area.
For example, on Wednesday morning, Congaree National Park received a total of 6.51 inches. However, Columbia Metropolitan Airport only received 2.66 inches of rain over the same period.
Even so, near Hopkins, 4.57 centimeters of rain have been measured so far.
“There was a very large gradient from south to east from Richland to Lexington,” Rohrbach said. “But overall, there has been 2 to 3 inches of rain in the Columbia area so far.”
Debby’s rain has already caused several sewers in the area overflow and leak sewage into various bodies of water.
Debby isn’t finished
Rohrbach said the Columbia area can expect an additional 2 to 4 inches of rain through Friday.
“The heaviest rain is expected to occur in the eastern Columbia area, moving into that area tonight and continuing into Thursday as Debby moves west,” he said.
The NWS warned that flooding will still be a significant concern for the area over the next two days. The area is currently under a flood watch until Friday.
Rohrbach noted that it’s not just the extra rain from Debby, but the rain the Columbia area has received in recent weeks that has increased the chances of flooding.
