As Tropical Storm Debby approaches Florida in the Gulf of Mexico, authorities warn it could cause flooding in parts of South Carolina this week.
The National Weather Service said in a briefing on Sunday morning, that tropical moisture from Debby, with a stalled front across South Carolina, would bring possible flash flooding to the Palmetto State starting Monday.
The NWS said major flooding is possible Tuesday in large areas of the state, especially south of Interstate 20 where there is a risk of excessive rainfall.
Large parts of the Midlands have the potential for major flooding on Tuesday night and into Tuesday, a weather service chart showed. Meanwhile, a pocket of the Lowcountry, including Charleston, is under threat of severe flooding Tuesday night and Tuesday.
The city of Charleston said in a news release Saturday that it is preparing for “rare and dangerous levels of flooding,” adding that “Debby is expected to produce very significant and rare flooding impacts throughout the city.” The Charleston statement singled out Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday as particularly worrying days in terms of weather.
The NWS briefing noted that five-day rainfall totals from Sunday through Thursday in South Carolina “are expected to lead to widespread flash flooding as soils are saturated across much of the forecast area.”
