ATLANTA — Tropical Storm Debby inundated coastal Georgia and South Carolina with a deluge of rain that could bring “catastrophic flooding” to Charleston, Savannah and other cities on Tuesday, a day after it slammed into Florida’s Gulf Coast as a hurricane.
At least six people have died in Florida and Georgia in the wake of the storm, which is expected to linger over the southeastern and mid-Atlantic coasts for days.
“Debby is expected to produce potentially historic rainfall totals of 10 to 20 inches (25 cm and 51 cm), with maximum amounts of 25 inches (63.5 cm), bringing areas of catastrophic flooding across portions of the eastern half of South Carolina, and southeast North Carolina through Friday,” the National Hurricane Center said.
The governors of those states have declared states of emergency.
The storm featured 40-mile-per-hour (64 kph) winds as it moved slowly just south of Savannah, Georgia, on Tuesday afternoon. Heavy rainfall could cause flooding in parts of the mid-Atlantic through Sunday, the Miami-based center said.
More than 8 inches (20 cm) of rain have already fallen on Savannah and Valdosta, Georgia, the National Weather Service said. Charleston and Hilton Head, South Carolina, have received between 10 and 12 inches (25 and 30 cm) of rain so far, the weather service said, with more on the way.
In Savannah, rain was coming down hard outside the landmark Bellwether House, a 16-room bed-and-breakfast in the city’s historic district, but general manager Victoria Hill was not too concerned.
“This place was built in 1876,” she said. “It’s built rock-solid, and you can imagine how many storms have hit over the last century.”
Hill said many tourists had canceled their reservations because of the storm, but a handful of guests were staying on.
“We here, we’re open and we’re holding up. We’ll all ride this out together.”
Charleston Mayor William Cogswell said more than 2 feet (61 cm) of rain was expected in his city before the storm passes. Even at low tide, storm surges of between 4 and 6 feet (1.2 and 1.8 meters) will prevent floodwaters from draining into the sea, he said.
