Tropical Storm Debby is expected to dump around 9 inches of rain in counties south of the Triangle, the same areas hit during Hurricane Matthew and Hurricane Florence.
Emergency workers are keeping a close eye on the level of the Lumber River, which is expected to reach major flood stage – more than 21 feet – by Wednesday night.
Tropical Storm Debby is expected to dump around 9 inches of rain in counties south of the Triangle, the same areas hit during Hurricane Matthew and Hurricane Florence.
The biggest threat from Debby is heavy rain and flooding, according to WRAL meteorologists. Aside from the coast, areas southeast of the Triangle, like Fayetteville, could get the most rain from the tropical storm.
Cumberland County has issued a State of Emergency before Tropical Storm Debby arrives.
Cumberland County will open five locations as emergency shelters starting 4 p.m. Wednesday. The shelters are:
Fort Liberty released all non-essential personnel in advance of Debby’s arrival.
Estimated rain totals from Debby include:
Slow-moving, rain-heavy storms have hit North Carolina many times, including in 2018, when Hurricane Florence dropped up to 30 inches in some areas. In 2019, Hurricane Dorian dropped up to 7 inches of rain.
With Debby, rain totals are expected to range from 4 to 9 inches, with the majority of the rain falling between Wednesday and Friday.
The Lumber River is a flood-prone area. In 2018, the river breached Interstate 95, isolating the area and destroying homes. Communities in the area could be flooded by Wednesday night.
Wayne Horne, Lumberton’s city manager, said lessons were learned after Hurricane Matthew and Hurricane Florence devastated communities in the area,
“We have the on-the-job training and learning experience”, Horne said.
