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Tropical Storm Debby live updates: More flooding expected as storm nears 2nd landfall

The rain is focused on the Carolinas through Thursday and then will move north.

Last Updated: August 7, 2024, 6:02 AM EDT

Tropical Storm Debby is slamming the Carolinas with heavy rain after making landfall in Florida as a Category 1 hurricane on Monday.

At least six people have been killed in Florida and Georgia from the slow-moving storm.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing.
9 hours and 24 minutes ago

Latest forecast

Tropical Storm Debby -- currently sitting off shore of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina -- is forecast to make a second landfall late Wednesday into early Thursday near Myrtle Beach, bringing more heavy rain.

This weather map shows the forecast track for Tropical Storm Debby through Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024.
ABC News

The storm is bringing significant to catastrophic flooding to portions of the Southeast, with flood watches and warnings covering much of the Carolinas. Rain totals could reach 20 to 25 inches in South Carolina and 15 inches in North Carolina.

This weather map shows the flash flood threat through Friday, Aug. 9, 2024.
ABC News

A "high risk" for excessive flooding has been issued from North Carolina into southern Virginia for Thursday. Click here to read more.

6:02 AM EDT

Debby’s winds at 45 mph ahead of expected 2nd landfall Thursday

Tropical Storm Debby’s winds slightly strengthened early Wednesday, rising to about 45 mph, as the storm moved over warm water in the Atlantic about 65 miles from the coast of Charleston, South Carolina.

Debby is expected to remain a tropical storm into Thursday, when it’s forecast to make a second landfall in South Carolina.

An ABC News graphic shows the expected path of Tropical Storm Debby.
ABC News

The National Hurricane Center said it expects the storm to not strengthen much more, maybe rising up to about 50 mph ahead of that landfall.

The storm is then forecast to continue inland overnight into Friday, with its winds slowing as it travels through North Carolina and into Virginia.

-ABC News’ Max Golembo

11:18 PM EDT

Debby is slowly moving eastward offshore

Tropical Storm Debby is slowly moving eastward offshore the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina.

Debby is moving east at 5 mph while max sustained winds remain at 40mph, with its center currently about 50 miles east of Savannah, Georgia, as of 11 p.m. ET.

Tornado Watch remains in effect across eastern South Carolina and North Carolina, from Myrtle Beach to Morehead City until 1 a.m. ET.

Flood Watches remain in effect from Georgia to Virginia as bands of heavy rain will continue through the night.

Debby will be back over open water tonight and could gain a bit more strength over the next 24 hours, but is forecast to remain at tropical storm intensity.

A second landfall is expected in South Carolina Wednesday evening or early Thursday morning.

ABC News' Melissa Griffin

Aug 06, 2024, 5:44 PM EDT

6 killed including 2 kids

At least six people have been killed from Debby, authorities said.

A 13-year-old boy was killed when a tree fell on a mobile home Monday morning in Levy County, Florida, which encompasses Cedar Key, according to the Levy County Sheriff’s Office.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with this family as they deal with this tragedy," the sheriff’s office said in a statement. "We encourage everyone to use extreme caution as they begin to assess and clean up the damage. Downed powerlines and falling trees are among the many hazards."

In Hillsborough County, Florida, which encompasses Tampa, a driver of a semi was killed when the truck went into a canal off Interstate 275 Monday morning, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

The cab of a tractor trailer is raised from a bridge on Interstate 75 near Tampa, Fla., Aug. 5, 2024, after the truck collided with a concrete wall, flipped over the wall, and was left dangling from the bridge.
Florida Highway Patrol via AP

Deputies recovered the semi and found the driver dead inside the cab, authorities said.

In Dixie County, Florida, a driver “lost control due to the inclement weather and wet roadway” on Sunday night, crashing into the center median guardrail and then overturning the car, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

The driver, a 38-year-old woman, and a passenger, a 12-year-old boy, were killed, authorities said.

Another passenger, a 14-year-old boy, was seriously injured, the highway patrol said.

In Gulfport, Florida, a 48-year-old man died after he tried to ride out the storm on his sailboat which was anchored off Gulfport’s Veteran’s Park, police said, according to ABC Tampa affiliate WFTS.

In Moultrie, Georgia, a 19-year-old man was struck and killed by a fallen tree while he was inside a home on Monday, according to Moultrie police.

Aug 06, 2024, 5:35 PM EDT

What to expect Tuesday evening

Debby is moving at just 3 mph, with its center located about 10 miles east of Savannah, Georgia, as of 5 p.m. ET.

Tornadoes are possible in South Carolina and North Carolina on Tuesday night.

After a day of heavy rainfall, the coastal cities of Savannah and Charleston, South Carolina, could see a few more inches of rain this week. Both cities are under flash flood warnings.

But going forward, the worst of the rain will be focused further north. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Wilmington, North Carolina; and Lumberton, North Carolina, are forecast to get hit the hardest over the next 24 to 36 hours.

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