Editor's Note: This article has been updated to add an interview with NWS Wilmington meteorologist Ian Boatman.
Debby is likely to make landfall on Thursday, and its slow progression north could result in catastrophic rain, causing the risk of life-threatening flooding. Rainfall amounts are expected to be 10 to 15 inches, with some areas receiving up to 20 inches.
Ian Boatman, a meteorologist with NWS, said Debby will be a historic rain event — that any slight deviation in her track will mean "a world of difference, [that one] area [might] receiv[e] three inches of rain, and this other area receiv[es] 16 inches of rain.
“This is the biggest rainfall we've seen across this area in the last five years or more. So this one will go down as a very memorable storm for many people. It is important that we keep track of the forecast and the changes, and it's time to prepare now,” he said.
That preparation includes having enough food and water for each person for a week, making sure that your residence is ready for the storm, and having a way to receive weather warnings on your phone or a NOAA weather radio. You can also download the FEMA app for free, providing you with the latest storm updates.
Boatman said if you live near a water source, pay close attention because "Even if the river or the creek that you may live next to might not flood in and of itself, there could be something upstream that is flooding, and that water has to go somewhere; it will eventually make it to that river or that creek or that stream that is close to your specific neck of the woods.”
Boatman said the Lumber River, Little PeeDee River, Black Creek, the Northeast Cape Fear River, and the Waccamaw River have the greatest chance of flooding.
Tropical-storm-force winds are also possible. Officials expect them to arrive starting Wednesday afternoon and last through Friday morning.
Storm surges for Pender and New Hanover counties are between 1-3 feet. Brunswick could see between 2-4 feet. Those surges will begin on Wednesday and will last into Friday morning.
The threat of tornadoes is also possible; these will generally come east of I-95 on Thursday.
Officials say it’s important for the public to remember not to drive across any flooded areas, as the vehicle may get swept off the roadway.
Remember the adage, “Turn around, don’t drown.”
He added, "I do not care what car you have. I don't care if you have four-wheel drive or not. Cars, in general, cannot work with flooded roads. And even if the flooded road doesn't look that bad, you may not know how deep it actually is. It may only look like three inches, but it could be a foot or more deep, and you do not want to mess with that."
The next NWSW briefing will come at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
TS Debby Briefing 7 Aug 6 7:45 AM by Ben Schachtman on Scribd
