Tropical Storm Debby made its presence felt across the southeastern United States in early August 2024. Originating as a Category 1 hurricane, Debby’s journey took it from Florida’s Big Bend region, across Georgia and South Carolina, before transitioning into a non-tropical system. This overview details the path of Tropical Storm Debby and the significant impacts it left in its wake, particularly focusing on southeastern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina.
Tropical Storm Debby’s Journey and Timeline
Debby first made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane in the Big Bend area of Florida on August 5, 2024. From there, it weakened to a tropical storm as it moved gradually across southeastern Georgia. Continuing its trajectory, Tropical Storm Debby ventured offshore before making a second landfall along the central South Carolina coast near Bulls Bay, situated between Charleston and Georgetown, in the early hours of August 8.
The storm then shifted direction, moving northwest towards the South Carolina/North Carolina border. By late on August 8, Tropical Storm Debby transitioned into a non-tropical low pressure system, marking the end of its life as a tropical cyclone. Despite weakening, Debby’s journey brought significant weather impacts across several states.
Impacts of Tropical Storm Debby
The primary impact of Tropical Storm Debby in southeastern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina was widespread flash and river flooding, triggered by torrential rainfall. However, the storm also brought tropical storm force wind gusts, minor coastal flooding, and even a few weak tornadoes to the region.
Wind Gusts
Tropical storm force wind gusts, reaching up to 55 mph, were recorded across the affected areas. The combination of these strong winds and heavy rainfall resulted in reports of downed trees and power lines in various locations.
| NHC Tropical Storm and Hurricane Force Wind Swaths of Debby |
|---|
| Location | Peak Wind Gust (mph) |
|---|---|
| Land | |
| Winyah Bay, SC – Range A Rear Light | 53 |
| Wilmington, NC – KILM | 51 |
| N Myrtle Beach, SC – KCRE | 48 |
| Murrells Inlet, SC | 47 |
| Lumberton, NC – KLBT | 46 |
| Bennettsville, SC – KBBP | 44 |
| Oak Island, NC | 44 |
| Lockwoods Folly Inlet, NC | 44 |
| North Masonboro Island, NC | 44 |
| Georgetown, SC | 43 |
| Myrtle Beach, SC – KMYR | 40 |
| Marine | |
| Wrightsville Beach, NC – Johnnie Mercers Pier | – |
| Myrtle Beach, SC – Springmaid Pier | – |
| Sunset Beach, NC – Nearshore Buoy | – |
| Frying Pan Shoals Buoy – 41013 | – |
| Wrightsville Beach, NC – Nearshore Buoy | – |
Rainfall and Flooding
Extensive heavy rainfall blanketed southeastern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina. Rainfall totals generally ranged from 5 to 10 inches inland and along the coast, with a significant band of 10 to 15+ inches falling between I-95 and the coastline. The highest recorded rainfall was an astounding 19.03 inches along the Waccamaw River in Horry County, SC, between August 5th and August 9th.
This heavy rainfall led to substantial flash flooding throughout the region, and prolonged river flooding persisted for weeks after the storm passed. Several locations along rivers reached moderate to major flood stages. Notably, the Waccamaw River near Conway, SC, crested at 14.9 feet, approximately one foot above major flood stage, nearly two weeks after Debby. The river remained above minor flood stage until August 31st, highlighting the long-lasting impact of the rainfall.
| Rainfall Observations from 8 AM 8/5/24 to 8 AM 8/9/24 |
|---|
| Location | Rainfall (inches) |
|---|---|
| Waccamaw River | 19.03 |
| Loris | 17.04 |
| Leland | 15.75 |
| Kingstree – LNJ Bridge | 15.71 |
| Little River | 15.61 |
| Shallotte Fire Station | 15.27 |
| Bucksport 2 N | 15.11 |
| Georgetown – Spring Gully | 15.02 |
| Kingstree | 14.93 |
| Lumber River State Park | 14.60 |
| Leland 5.7 WSW | 13.92 |
| Leland 4.3 WSW | 13.91 |
| Finklea | 13.90 |
| Calabash 1.9 NNE | 13.87 |
| Conway – Horry County Police | 13.85 |
| Wilmington 2 WSW | 13.80 |
| Calabash | 13.62 |
| Leland 1.4 WNW | 13.55 |
| Holden Beach 1 W | 13.46 |
| Shallotte | 13.35 |
| Sunset Harbor | 13.21 |
| Carolina Shores 1.8 NE | 13.11 |
| Andrews | 13.10 |
Coastal Flooding and Tornadoes
In addition to wind and rain, high storm tides led to multiple instances of minor tidal flooding along the Cape Fear River near Wilmington, NC. Furthermore, three weak tornadoes were confirmed to have touched down during the storm, including two EF-0 tornadoes in Pender County, NC, and one EF-0 tornado in Brunswick County, NC.
Additional Resources
For more detailed information, refer to these resources:
- Narrative of Storm Impacts
- Tornado Details
- Cape Fear River Flooding Data
