Tropical Storm Debby, which has already dumped more than a foot of rain on parts of the South and is expected to bring more, made a second landfall in the U.S. on Thursday morning as it moved back toward South Carolina.
The storm, with winds of 80 mph, made landfall near Bulls Bay, South Carolina, the National Hurricane Center said in an update at 2 a.m. ET.
It was a Category 1 hurricane when it made landfall near Steinhatchee in Florida’s Big Bend region around 7 a.m. Monday.
“The big story with Debby will continue to be the rain,” National Hurricane Center Director Dr. Michael Brennan said in an update at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
There were six storm-related deaths, five of which occurred in Florida, according to official reports. Another person died in Georgia. Most deaths occurred due to falling trees.
The storm is slow moving and is not expected to begin leaving North Carolina until Thursday night or Friday. It is expected to continue to weaken as it moves inland.
“We expect this storm to continue its slow and gradual approach, bringing several days of heavy rain and the potential for widespread and severe flash flooding,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Wednesday. Parts of the state could receive 15 centimeters of rain.
Although the center of the storm made landfall, its effects are widespread. While still at sea near South Carolina around 5 p.m., the storm was affecting weather from Florida to the Carolinas and Mid-Atlantic states, Brennan said.
The community of Parrish, Florida, about 20 miles southeast of St. Petersburg, recorded nearly 7 inches of rain Tuesday morning, the National Weather Service said. Sarasota got rain and authorities reported hundreds of rescues in Sarasota County.
An EF-1 tornado associated with an outer band of rain from the tropical storm damaged roofs of homes on South Carolina’s Isle of Palms on Tuesday, the weather service said. In total, 29 homes suffered damage from winds or falling trees, he said.
Another EF-1 tornado associated with the storm touched down on Edisto Island on Monday with winds of 90 mph, according to the agency. He knocked down trees and tore off part of the roof of a house.
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