Tropical Storm Debby Impacts Greenville, South Carolina

Tropical Storm Debby: More Rain in Greenville than Expected. Is This Cause for Concern?

Tropical Storm Debby made a second landfall in South Carolina as it continued to dump rain along the southeast coast. After a hot and sunny week in the Upstate, residents are now experiencing what’s left of Debby’s wrath, with rain pouring down in Greenville and Spartanburg heading into Friday.

“It’s raining a little more than we were initially expecting in Greenville County, but we’re not expecting any problems,” said Doug Outlaw with the National Weather Service at GSP. Rainfall amounts in the area are not of concern at this present time. Currently, the areas of most concern are those near Interstate 77, which is currently under a flood warning due to rainfall amounts between 3 to 4 inches.

Going eastward, weather conditions are even worse. Several tornadoes touched down in Raleigh, North Carolina ― a stark contrast to Greenville’s weather. “The Raleigh area has actually had some tornadoes,” Outlaw said. “They’ve got the tornadoes and all we got is rain. We haven’t had any lightning at all this morning anywhere over the western Carolinas and certainly no tornadoes.”

Debby’s Current Location and Strength

As of 2 p.m., the center of Debby was about 55 miles east of Charlotte, North Carolina, and 100 miles southwest of Raleigh, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm is now moving toward the north-northwest near 10 mph. By this evening, it is expected to become a tropical depression with winds of 38 mph or less.

Debby’s maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 40 mph with higher gusts, continuing to lose momentum. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 195 miles from the center. The storm is expected to become extratropical by Friday, merging with a front.

Key Messages and Weather Advisories

Portions of the Carolinas are forecast to continue experiencing heavy rainfall along with areas of considerable flooding. Heavy rainfall will also affect portions of the Mid-Atlantic states and Northeast through Saturday morning, resulting in considerable to local catastrophic flooding impacts.

• Tropical Storm Warning: North of Murrells’s Inlet, S.C., to Ocracoke Inlet, North Carolina

Storm Surge and Rainfall Projections

Areas near the coast that are normally dry may be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. Cape Fear, Ocracoke Inlet, and the Neuse and Pamlico Rivers may experience water heights anywhere between 1 to 3 feet above ground if the peak surge occurs during high tide.

Portions of eastern S.C. may receive additional rainfall amounts between 1 to 3 inches, bringing maximum storm total amounts as high as 20 to 25 inches. Considerable flooding will impact the area through Friday.

Forecast for Greenville

According to the National Weather Service at GSP, showers and thunderstorms are forecast for after 5 p.m., with a north wind around 15 mph and wind gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch are possible. The weather will be cloudy with a high of 84 degrees.

Tonight’s Forecast

There will be a chance of thunderstorms before 10 p.m. and a slight chance of showers between 10 p.m. and midnight. After 3 a.m. there will be patchy fog. The weather will be mostly cloudy with a low around 72 degrees.

Tomorrow, residents can look forward to mostly sunny skies, with a high near 94 degrees.