Duke Energy preps for Debby, says slow-moving rain a major flooding concern

At Raleigh-Durham International Airport on Monday, 47 flights were delayed and 33 flights were canceled as Tropical Storm Debby pounded Florida, moving toward North Carolina.

Debby could impact North Carolina’s coast by late Monday, and the Triangle will start to see rain on Tuesday, according to WRAL meteorologists. Flooding and wind gusts over 40 mph could cause trees to come down, causing some people to lose power.

WRAL News on Monday spoke with Duke Energy about what crews are doing to prepare for Debby. Crews are most concerned about torrential rain leading to flooding, and drivers were urged not to drive through standing water and to avoid downed power lines.

Duke Energy is ready for possible power outages from Debby, with crews in the Carolinas on standby and hundreds of linemen and utility workers in Florida, responding to Debby’s impacts.

“I always say, if there is ever a storm with a name coming your way, you should have a plan in place,” said Duke Energy spokesperson Jeff Brooks. “I think we are in good shape at the moment, we are going to be watching the forecast over the next 24 to 48 hours.”

According to Brooks, a concern with this storm will be the slow-moving rain if the storm stalls.

“We are going to see conditions with Debby that were very similar to Florence that slow plotting pace of storm with heavy rain,” Brooks said.

State and local agencies are also preparing for the storm’s arrival, with the city of Raleigh’s Emergency Management Services team lowering lake levels, allowing the bodies of water to hold more water and reduce flooding concerns.

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Along the coast on Monday, rough water was already picking up at Wrightsville Beach, and workers were warning people to stay out of the water as conditions become dangerous.

“This is really going to be all about the rain,” WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said, explaining the greatest threat to our state will be flooding.

The heaviest rain is expected to fall in our area between Wednesday and Friday, when there is the greatest risk for flooding. A flood watch is in effect for central and eastern North Carolina between Tuesday morning and Friday evening.

Estimated rain totals from Debby include:

• 10-16 inches for Wilmington
• 8-10 inches for Fayetteville
• 6-8 inches for Raleigh

WRAL News spoke with Justin Graney, North Carolina Emergency Management’s chief of external affairs and public information officer, about how the state is preparing for Debby.

On Monday afternoon North Carolina was in “enhanced status,” which places emergency managers across the state to assist local communities with resource allocation, or “where do we need to shift resources to best address the situation?,” Graney explained.

Flooding is especially a concern this week after days and weeks of rain. July was the wettest July to date, with a record 9.11 inches of rain, 5.2 inches above the normal rainfall amount for July.

“We are concerned with flooding and the additional rain that’s going to come,” Graney said. “A lot of areas saw flooding this weekend, and we’re going to continue to see a lot of rainfall throughout the state … the time to prepare is now.”

ReadyNC.gov is a great resource to help people plan for a hurricane. People can also visit FIMAN.nc.gov, North Carolina’s Flooding Inundation Mapping and Alert Network, to sign up to get alerts when rivers near their home are at risk for flooding.

“You need to prepare a disaster kit for your home and have a plan of action in case it’s needed for a disaster,” Graney said.

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