Tropical Storm Debby heads for North Carolina after late-night landfall

CHARLESTON, S.C. (CN) — Tropical Storm Debby made landfall early Thursday in the South Carolina Lowcountry, bringing heavy rains to the state as officials began assessing damages.

Debby then lumbered into central North Carolina on Thursday afternoon where it was expected to weaken into a tropical depression as it swirls toward the Mid-Atlantic, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm’s early morning arrival in Bulls Bay brought heavy rains to the PeeDee region, including Myrtle Beach and Florence, but no significant damage was reported.

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster said at a press conference in Columbia on Thursday that the threat of river flooding would persist after the storm’s departure.

“The rains are gone, but the river flooding will take place, and there will likely be a lot of that," he said.

South Carolina avoided the worst of the storm’s impact. Ten to 15 inches of rain fell across the Lowcountry during the week, washing out roads and flooding homes, but totals fell short of the historic rainfall initially predicted, according to the National Weather Service’s Charleston office.

Forecasters confirmed Thursday four tornadoes spun off from the storm. An EF1 tornado snapped trees and ripped the roofs off three homes Monday night in the wealthy beachfront town of Edisto Island. Another EF1 tornado damaged several businesses Tuesday night in Moncks Corner, causing minor injuries to one person.

Smaller twisters also caused minor damages on Kiawah Island and Ladys Island.

Kim Stenson, director of the State Emergency Management Division, said at Thursday’s press conference that at least 70 homes and 16 businesses were damaged by the storm. Twenty-two residents remained in shelters, down from a high of 127 residents.

Crews began conducting damage assessments Thursday in the Lowcountry, Stenson said.

No fatalities have been reported.

River flooding remained a concern as a week of heavy rain fed into the state’s rivers. McMaster said the Edisto and PeeDee rivers were of particular concern, though officials did not expect the catastrophic flooding witnessed during 2018’s Hurricane Florence.

“After the flooding is over, there will be a lot of cleaning up to do," he said.

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