The North Carolina Emergency Operations Center has put the state under “Enhanced Watch Status” as Hurricane Debby lands in Florida. The hurricane is expected to bring heavy winds and rains throughout the Southeast including in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.
According to the state emergency department, an Enhanced Watch is the second level of a three-tier activation system. It involves preparing state agencies to “take action” during a natural disaster. The department said it is already beginning to coordinate response operations for Hurricane Debby.
Jonathan Blaes, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Raleigh, said the hurricane will likely bring severe rainfall to the coastal and eastern regions of the state.
Areas near Wilmington, Myrtle Beach and Charleston are forecasted to have 12 to 16 inches of rain. Fayetteville and Goldsboro could see about six to 12 inches. The Raleigh area will likely see five to 10 inches of rain.
“Those are significant rainfall amounts,” Blaes said. “Those are easily two or three months' worth of rain just over the course of a week.”
The risk of heavy rainfall decreases toward the Northwest part of the state, with the Asheville and Boone area forecasting about a couple inches of rain.
Blaes said the worst weather would likely occur Wednesday through Friday as the storm drifts into the Carolinas. The heavy rainfall will likely be joined by strong winds, with 30-50 mph wind gusts along the beaches and 20-30 mph in Fayetteville and the Triangle area.
However, Blaes said it is too early to determine where the strongest gusts will occur, because they’ll be located in the center of the storm. The biggest threat will be prolonged heavy rainfall, which can lead to dangerous flooding.
“We have a long history, an unfortunate history, of folks drowning during and especially after hurricanes because they drive through flooded roadways,” Blaes said. “It’s one of the largest killers in the state – people dying from fresh water flooding, not storm surge.”
Blaes said this flooding risk can last for several days, even after heavy rainfall has ceased. He recommends people prepare for the storm now by making sure they have a good supply of food and ensuring any necessary medications are filled. Other ways to prepare for the storm include having cash in case the power prevents credit card use, and keeping cell phones charged.
