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Weather Impact: Flash flooding continues into Thursday evening
Record rainfall and flooding impacted the Charlotte area. Make sure to avoid flooded roads and stay Weather Aware.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — After making landfall in South Carolina early Thursday, Debby downgraded to a tropical depression just east of Charlotte. Still, the slow-moving tropical system impacted Charlotte and the rest of the Piedmont with unrelenting rainfall.
Numerous locations are inundated with flood waters including area creeks and streams. Residents should continue to stay Weather Aware and use caution near areas of rising water. Additional rain is expected Thursday evening before the system clears the region by early Friday morning.
A large portion of the Charlotte area was under a Flash Flood Warning due to Debby’s torrential rain through 5 p.m. Some of these were even upgraded to a Tier 2 Flash Flood Warning, which is the type of warning that will send an alert your phone if you’re in an affected area.
Thousands are dealing with power outages due to the impacts from Debby.
A Record Morning
The rain was so heavy that Charlotte broke the all-time rainfall record for August 8 with 1.45 inches at 6 a.m. The record of 1.37 inches had stood since 1928. As of 9 a.m. this morning, over 3 inches of rain has fallen, making this the wettest day of the year and made the top 5 wettest days Charlotte has ever recorded in August.
And the rainfall totals continued to climb with more than 4 inches by 5 p.m. making today one of the top 20th wettest days in history for the Queen City.
When
Scattered light to moderate will continue into the evening hours. Debby will slowly lifting to the north into Virginia tonight.
Impacts
An onset of heavy rain early Thursday continued throughout much of day and caused numerous flood reports. Trees and power lines were impacted from saturated grounds and gusty winds. Watch for rising creek levels and be prepared to take action if these levels reach major flood stage.
What you need to do to stay safe
Panovich says everyone in the Carolinas should stay Weather Aware this week and keep a close eye on the rainfall totals. If you live in a flood-prone area, ensure you have the WCNC Charlotte app with weather notifications turned on so you will be alerted to weather emergencies in real-time.
What you can do before the heavy rain moves in:
- Clean drains, gutters and downspouts to prevent clogs
- Mow your yard. You might not get another chance until Sunday
- Keep rain gear handy. Boots, jackets and umbrellas may be needed if you have to evacuate.
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