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Want to know how much rain Debby will drop on your SC home? See the latest forecast

Flooding covered Columbia’s Devine Street after the historic October 2015 floods.
Flooding covered Columbia’s Devine Street after the historic October 2015 floods. tglantz@thestate.com FILE PHOTOGRAPH

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Tropical Storm Debby

Historic rainfall from Tropical Storm Debby could lead to dangerous flooding. The rain will likely bring dangerous flooding, including flash floods, urban floods and potential storm surges.

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Much of South Carolina could see historic amounts of rain this week from Hurricane Debby, the latest forecast shows.

According to a National Weather Service forecast and the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, Debby is expected to move slowly over the state in the next few days, leading to potentially historic heavy rainfall of up to 30 inches in some areas.

Debby made landfall in Florida on Monday. It began impacting South Carolina Monday night and will likely continue through Tuesday and Wednesday. But even after the main part of the storm moves through, more rain is expected through Friday, the NWS states.

A flood watch was issued in the Midlands as Hurricane Debby is forecast to bring excessive rain as it approaches from the south.
A flood watch was issued in the Midlands as Hurricane Debby is forecast to bring excessive rain as it approaches from the south. National Weather Service

Here’s the rainfall forecast for the next seven days based on region:

  • Lowcountry: 20-30 inches
  • Grand Strand: 10-20 inches
  • Midlands and Pee Dee: 8-15 inches
  • Upstate: 2-6 inches
The National Weather Service is predicting historic rainfall in South Carolina this week.
The National Weather Service is predicting historic rainfall in South Carolina this week. screenshot Courtesy of National Weather Service

With the threat of heavy rain comes the likelihood of significant flooding.

“This amount of rainfall is expected to lead to widespread flooding as soils are saturated across much of the forecast area,” the NWS states.

As such, a flood watch is set to go into effect at noon on Monday. It’s set to last through Thursday evening.

A flood watch was issued in the Midlands as Hurricane Debby is forecast to bring excessive rain as it approaches from the south.
A flood watch was issued in the Midlands as Hurricane Debby is forecast to bring excessive rain as it approaches from the south. National Weather Service

The flood watch includes most of the Midlands, such as Richland, Lexington, Kershaw, Sumter, Clarendon, Calhoun, Lee and Orangeburg counties. Extensive street flooding and flooding of creeks and rivers is possible, the NWS states.

This story was originally published August 5, 2024 at 9:43 AM with the headline "Want to know how much rain Debby will drop on your SC home? See the latest forecast."

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Patrick McCreless
The State
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Patrick McCreless is the Southeast service journalism editor for McClatchy, who leads and edits a team of six reporters in South Carolina, Georgia and Mississippi. The team writes about trending news of the day and topics that help readers in their daily lives and better informs them about their communities. He attended Jacksonville State University in Alabama and grew up in Tuscaloosa, AL.
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Tropical Storm Debby

Historic rainfall from Tropical Storm Debby could lead to dangerous flooding. The rain will likely bring dangerous flooding, including flash floods, urban floods and potential storm surges.

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