COLUMBIA, S.C. — Hurricane Debby has made landfall in Florida, and is expected to bring heavy rainfall and potentially dangerous flooding to South Carolina this week. The News19 Weather Team has issued Weather Impact Alert Days for Monday through Thursday due to potential impacts from Hurricane Debby.
The storm will come ashore around 7 a.m. Monday along Florida's Big Bend region. It's expected to then slowly push across Florida into Georgia. But Tuesday it may exit off the coast near Savannah, but that's where it may stall for over a day.
It's the stalling that may cause rainfall totals to reach historic levels in some parts of the Lowcountry and hazardous levels up into the Midlands.
Impacts could begin as early as Monday afternoon across South Carolina. Below is a timeline of what to expect in the Midlands
Today: Winds will stay calm Monday morning. Monday afternoon winds begin to increase with gusts reaching 20-25 mph by Monday night. A few showers will begin to enter the midlands from the southeast on Monday morning. Rain will become more scattered through the day on Monday.
Tuesday: Wind gust speeds Tuesday morning are expected to reach 25-30 mph. By Tuesday evening, gusts could reach upwards of 40 mph. Heavier rainfall is expected to reach the midlands by early Tuesday morning. Heavy rainfall will continue through Tuesday.
Wednesday: Wind gusts are expecting to continue reaching 30-40 mph through Wednesday afternoon. Showers continue Wednesday morning with heavy rainfall possible for southeastern Midlands counties.
Thursday: Wind gusts on Thursday are forecast to decrease to 25-30 mph. Rainfall is expected to continue through the day on Thursday.
Heavy rainfall and flooding continue to be the primary concern for the Midlands. Based on the latest forecast from the Weather Prediction Center, 5-10" of rainfall can be expected across the Midlands over the next 7 days. Locally higher rainfall totals are possible where the bands of heaviest rainfall move through. Areas along the South Carolina coast could see over 15" of rainfall.
There is still uncertainty surrounding Hurricane Debby. Any changes to the speed, strength, and path of Debby could change the level of impact in the Midlands. The News19 Weather Team will keep you updated with the latest information as Hurricane Debby unfolds across the Midlands this week.