Moving on From Florida, Debby Dumps on Southeast

Tropical Storm Debby has moved menacingly into some of America's most historic Southern cities, reports the AP, bringing prolonged downpours and flooding Tuesday after slamming into Florida and prompting the rescue of hundreds. Record-setting rain from the storm that killed at least five people in Florida and Georgia was causing flash flooding, with up to 25 inches possible in some areas, the National Hurricane Center said Tuesday morning. "Hunker down," Van Johnson, the mayor of Savannah, Georgia, told residents Monday night. "Expect that it will be a rough day" Tuesday, he said. The storm's center was just southwest of Savannah early Tuesday with maximum sustained winds near 45mph and it was moving northeast at less than 6mph.

"Tropical cyclones always produce heavy rain, but normally as they're moving, you know, it doesn't accumulate that much in one place," Richard Pasch of the National Hurricane Center said Tuesday morning. "But when they move very slowly, that's the worst situation." Tropical cyclones derive their energy from warm water, so Debby has weakened over land. The storm's center is expected to move out over the water off the Georgia and South Carolina coast, then move back inland, so it could restrengthen Wednesday before it moves inland Thursday over South Carolina. Flash flood warnings were issued in Savannah and Charleston, South Carolina, among other areas of coastal Georgia and South Carolina. Savannah and Charleston announced overnight curfews.

Charleston police barricaded all eight roads leading into the 350-year-old city Monday night after urging non-residents to leave, and said the curfew would remain through Tuesday, letting only essential workers and emergency personnel pass. Charleston also opened parking garages so residents could park cars above floodwaters. President Biden approved federal disaster aid for Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. North Carolina is also under a state of emergency after Gov. Roy Cooper signed an executive order Monday. As Debby slows to a crawl, forecasters say there's uncertainty as to where it heads next. After it moves off the Georgia and South Carolina coast and meanders over the ocean Tuesday and Wednesday, it could make landfall east of Charleston on Thursday. Forecasters predict it would then move up the middle of North Carolina, through Virginia, and into the DC area by Saturday.

(More Tropical Storm Debby stories.)