Tropical Storm Debby dips into Atlantic as South Carolina assesses damages

CHARLESTON, S.C. (CN) — Debby crawled across the Atlantic Ocean Wednesday as South Carolina residents assessed damages from the tropical storm and braced for a second landfall.

The storm was about 50 miles off the coast of Charleston after making landfall in Florida as a Category 1 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center. Debby lumbered through the ocean at about 4 mph and was forecast to make landfall overnight east of the Holy City.

Debby was not expected to become a hurricane before making landfall. A research aircraft recorded sustained wind speeds of 60 mph, about 15 mph less than a category 1 hurricane, the weather service reported.

Debby dumped more than a foot of rain in parts of the region over the past few days, washing out roads, flooding homes and knocking out power. Forecasters predict another 3 to 4 inches of rain in the Lowcountry before the storm passes Saturday, with higher rain totals inland.

Governor Henry McMaster said at a press conference Wednesday afternoon in Columbia that the state had been lucky so far. The rains across the Lowcountry were less severe than anticipated and no deaths have been reported.

But the danger remains as Debby lurks off the coast.

"One way to look at this is we were in the second act of a three-act play," the governor said.

The storm's landfall overnight would bring heavy rains to the PeeDee region, including Myrtle Beach and Florence, McMasters said. And even as the rain subsides, rivers would continue to crest, creating flood hazards that could continue into next week.

"After the curtains come down, then the cleanup takes places, and that's a whole different phase," McMaster said.

At 3.56 inches, downtown Charleston recorded record-breaking rainfall Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service’s Charleston office. Charleston Mayor William Cogswell lifted a citywide curfew Wednesday morning as water drained from roads, but warned saturated soil and increasing winds may still lead to downed trees and power lines.

More than 12 inches of rain fell on the wealthy beachfront town of Edisto Beach, the weather service reported. Forecasters confirmed a tornado also touched down in the community Monday night, stripping the roofs from three homes and snapping trees.

A second tornado struck near downtown Moncks Corner, about 30 miles north of Charleston, forecasters confirmed. The tornado gutted a fast food restaurant and flipped a pickup truck. One person suffered minor injuries from broken glass.

Officials were also investigating possible tornados on Isle of Palms and in West Ashley.

Neil Dixon, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said river flooding remained a concern for the region as swollen creeks and tributaries emptied into major rivers, like the Santee, Edisto and Savannah. Long-term river flooding would likely inhibit recovery efforts into next week and possibly beyond.

“The worst is yet to be seen as far as river flooding is concerned,” he said.

Tim Stenson, director of the State Emergency Management Division, said at Wednesday's press conference that at least 64 homes were damaged between Berkeley, Charleston and Colleton counties. Mike Leach, director of the State Department of Social Services, reported 107 residents were housed in 12 emergency shelters across the state.

Leach said they were preparing shelters in the PeeDee Region ahead of Debby's landfall.

Eighty-three roads remained closed in South Carolina, according to Justin Powell, secretary of the State Department of Transportation, but the interstates remained open for motorists.

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