Tropical Storm Debby continues to move slowly toward the Carolina coast, and there is still some uncertainty about the impact it will have in eastern North Carolina.
Meteorologist Roger Martin with the National Weather Service in Newport/Morehead City said after making landfall in Florida on Monday, Debby is expected to move back into the Atlantic again.
"What we'll be watching the next few days is how long does it spin out over the Atlantic? The waters are very warm in that part of the Atlantic, so does it strengthen or is it just kind of stay pretty steady state? Then of course then the next question is, ‘Where does it make landfall again?’”
The latest National Hurricane Center forecast is predicting that second landfall at or near Charleston, South Carolina on Thursday.
“Depending how strong Debby gets out of the Atlantic, that will play into how much of a coastal flood threat, a storm surge we have, how strong the wind is going to be,” Martin said.
Regardless of whether it weakens, strengthens, or stays the same, flooding rains of up to 20 inches are expected in some areas of southeastern North Carolina. Duplin, Onslow, and parts of Craven and Carteret Counties could receive between 10-15 inches of rain.
"Flash flooding that will be our initial concern, as the rain comes down heavy and it just overwhelms drainage systems,” said Martin. “But then, over time, that accumulative effect will start to see rivers, main stem rivers start, to respond and that will be something we will be watching.”
The National Weather Service is predicting limited impacts from tropical storm force winds mainly along the coast of Onslow and Carteret Counties Wednesday night through Friday.
"That would give us some strong winds, especially along the Crystal Coast for example, some tropical storm force winds,” Martin said. “So, we could have some power outages and tree damage with that. But if the storm would be stronger than that, those impacts from wind and storm surge would increase. But right now, the big, big message we want to get across to people as a heavy rain and flooding threat.”
