Tropical Storm Debby sits off the coast of Georgia and South Carolina this morning, tracking east at 5 mph with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph. Debby is forecast to begin a gradual turn to the north, then to the north-northeast throughout the day today before another landfall near McClellanville overnight tonight. There is a possibility of some strengthening overnight as Debby approaches the South Carolina coast before weakening takes place after landfall.
Rainfall has been the primary concern throughout our dealings with Debby and that continues to be the case today. Forecasted rainfall totals have reduced some due to dry air building into Debby overnight. With that said, an additional 3 to 9 inches of rain is possible today through Debby's exit from the area late on Thursday. County Emergency Management officials are closely monitoring the river forecast models from the National Weather Service, but it is important to note that these river forecasts only account for rainfall into the system through Thursday evening.
A Tropical Storm Warning remains in place for the entire coast of South Carolina, along with a storm surge watch for our area and the remainder of the SC Northern Hurricane Region. The storm surge threat appears to be limited to the immediate coastline, with values up to 4 feet above ground level possible. The probability of tropical storm force winds for our area has increased to 75% for Georgetown County.