MJP –
Tropical Storm Debby brought heavy rains to the Southeastern United States in the first week of August 2024. On August 5, the storm made landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida as a Category 1 hurricane; however, as it made its way inland, its intensity decreased, and it became a tropical storm. It boosted rainfall totals across the Carolinas, Florida, and Georgia as it skirted the Atlantic coast.
Until 7:59 p.m. Eastern Time (23:59 Universal Time) on August 7, 2024, the five-day rainfall accumulation is shown above on the map. These estimates may differ from ground-based measurements, as they are remotely sensed and come from the GPM (Global Precipitation Measurement) mission’s IMERG (Integrated Multi-Satellite Retrievals for GPM).
One example is that rain gauge readings inside a single pixel can be very different from the average because IMERG data is averaged across all pixels.
Heavy Downpour Cascading Numerous States
Over the course of those five days, over a foot of rain fell on dozens of communities in Georgia, the Carolinas, and Florida. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), in Florida, Sarasota received 17.78 inches (452 millimeters) of precipitation while Lake City received 19.67 inches (500 millimeters). A total of 18.25 inches (464 millimeters) fell on the South Carolina town of Summerville.
SEE MORE –
Weather Alert: Arizona Faces Intense Thunderstorm with Wind Gusts and Heavy Rain Tonight
Return to Land and Persistent Danger
A second landfall of the storm occurred early on August 8, this time to the northeast of Charleston, South Carolina, and the downpour persisted. Tropical Storm Debby, which had increased its moisture content while in the Atlantic Ocean, persisted in dumping heavy rain on the Carolinas.
Predictions indicate that heavy rain will sweep across the mid-Atlantic and Northeast on August 9-10 as Tropical Depression Debby moves northward. The National Weather Service reported that the storm’s main danger was the persistent risk of flash floods caused by the heavy rains.
Tropical Cyclone Debby has prompted the activation of NASA’s Disasters program, which assists organizations like FEMA. The team’s open-access mapping platform will be updated with maps and data products when new information becomes available.
