Tropical Storm Debby Makes Second US Landfall in Days

AFP/APP

Washington: Tropical Storm Debby made its second landfall in the United States on Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). This follows its earlier impact on the southeastern parts of the country, where it caused at least six fatalities.

Debby came ashore near Bulls Bay, South Carolina, about 20 miles (35 kilometers) northeast of Charleston, as per the NHC’s morning advisory. The agency has warned of major flooding in parts of the Carolinas and Western Virginia.

Initially, Debby made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast on Monday as a Category One hurricane, with sustained winds of 80 miles per hour. It has since weakened to a tropical storm.

The NHC forecasts that Debby will bring an additional three to nine inches of rainfall to already saturated areas. “We expect this storm to continue its slow, gradual approach, bringing multiple days of heavy rainfall and the potential for widespread and severe flash flooding,” North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said in a statement on Wednesday.

The US National Weather Service has issued multiple tornado warnings and anticipates that heavy rainfall will result in “considerable” flooding across parts of the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeast through Saturday morning.

In July, Hurricane Beryl, a powerful storm, claimed at least 18 lives as it ravaged the Caribbean before hitting southern US states, including Texas and Louisiana.

Scientists suggest that climate change contributes to the rapid intensification of storms, as warmer ocean temperatures provide more energy for storm development.