A flood watch is in effect along the Outer Banks and North Carolina is under a state of emergency as Tropical Storm Debby makes its way north, bringing the threat of heavy rain, flash flooding and dangerous beach and boating conditions to the coast.
The flood watch is in effect from noon Tuesday through 8 p.m. Friday from Ocracoke to Duck, with the National Weather Service calling for rainfall amounts of 5 to 10 inches.
Hurricane Debby made landfall Monday along Florida’s Big Bend Coast with torrential rain and high winds that contributed to at least four deaths and hundreds of rescues from people in flooded homes, the Associated Press reported.
For the Outer Banks and northeastern North Carolina, uncertainty remained late Tuesday morning with the track and potential impacts beyond mid-week, the NWS Newport/Morehead City forecast office said.
Debby is forecast to slowly move off the Georgia coast through Tuesday and make landfall along the South Carolina coast early Thursday.
“The amount of time and distance Debby remains off the southeast coast will determine how much restrengthening occurs and ultimately the level of impacts we may experience from additional hazards, including wind, tornado and storm surge,” the Dare County Sheriff’s Office said in a Tuesday morning social media post.
Emergency management officials in Currituck and Dare counties said it is imperative visitors and residents keep an eye on the official forecast track.
“Please don’t write Debby off as a weakening tropical storm,” Dare County Emergency Management Director Drew Pearson said Monday night. “Let’s keep our guard up until the uncertainty is eliminated over the next few days.”
Currituck County officials said they are following the storm’s track and will have all emergency response departments fully staffed throughout the storm.
North Carolina Department of Transportation crews were staging equipment Tuesday morning from Oregon Inlet to Ocracoke in “all the usual hotspots,” the agency said on social media. Sections of N.C. 12 on Hatteras and Ocracoke islands are prone to flooding and severe ocean overwash, even during mild wind and rain events.
NCDOT also was checking stormwater structures and ditches along Hatteras and Ocracoke islands.
The agency said heavy rain will be the main threat as Debby moves through, with ocean overwash flooding also likely if the storm tracks closer to the Outer Banks.
Gov. Roy Cooper’s office called a state of emergency Monday due to the potential for “life-threatening flash flooding, riverine flooding, wind gusts up to 40 mph, coastal impacts and other effects.”
“This weather has the potential to bring intense rain and flooding to North Carolina and we are preparing for it,” Cooper said in a release. “As the weather becomes more severe, I urge everyone to take precautions and stay safe.”
The order activates the state emergency operations plan and allows for state transportation and public safety authorities to “ensure the expeditious movement of utility vehicles to eliminate power outages, vehicles carrying essential supplies such as food, medicine and fuel or transporting livestock, poultry and crops.”
The governor’s office said North Carolinians should prepare for heavy rainfall, wind, flooding and power outages starting Tuesday, and offered the following tips to stay safe and prepared:
- Never drive through flooded roadways or around barricades.
- Make sure you know where to seek shelter if a tornado warning is issued for your area.
- Ensure that you have multiple ways to receive warnings, especially with the potential for severe storms to be moving through during nighttime hours.
- Check to see if your community offers emergency alert services for its residents.
- Avoid unnecessary travel.
