Driver killed as flooding swamps North Carolina after Tropical Storm Debby
A North Carolina motorist was killed over the weekend after driving into raging floodwaters and being swept away. (Credit: Lumberton Rescue and EMS Inc.)
LUMBERTON, N.C. - A motorist in North Carolina was killed over the weekend after officials say they drove their vehicle into raging floodwaters and were swept away, and with more rain in the forecast for the waterlogged region, the threat of flooding will continue for the next few days.
According to a Facebook post from Lumberton Rescue and EMS Inc., heavy rain and flooding forced officials to close Old Whiteville Road in Lumberton near the county line on Saturday.
However, officials said the unidentified motorist drove into the floodwaters and died when their vehicle was swept downstream.
According to the Facebook post, officials said they estimated the depth of the water to be between 8 and 12 inches.
"It bears repeating," officials said. "Never drive into flooded roadways and obey road closed signage."
Flood alerts posted in North Carolina, South Carolina
The FOX Forecast Center says more rain and thunderstorms are expected across the Carolinas in the coming days, and that has forecasters concerned that more flooding could occur in areas hit hard by deadly Tropical Storm Debby.
This comes after heavy precipitation triggered numerous reports of flash flooding on Saturday, including the deadly incident in Lumberton, North Carolina.
NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center (WPC) has highlighted areas of the Southeast and mid-Atlantic that are at risk of flooding over the next few days.
However, the WPC has placed areas of northeastern Georgia and the Carolinas in a Level 2 out of 4 risk of flooding on Sunday.
This includes cities such as Charleston in South Carolina and Wilmington in North Carolina.
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Flood alerts have also been posted across the region, including numerous Flood Warnings and Flood Watches as rivers and streams continue to rise in the wake of Tropical Storm Debby.
The stalled-out cold front that's expected to trigger numerous rounds of heavy rain and thunderstorms is only adding to the flood danger.
Those flood alerts are in effect until further notice.
The FOX Forecast Center isn't expecting blockbuster rainfall totals over the next few days in the Carolinas.
Most areas can only expect to see an inch or two of additional rainfall.
However, there are areas of the Carolinas closer to the coast that could pick up 2-3 inches of additional rain with some locally higher amounts.
Flash Flood Emergency issued Friday
A Flash Flood Emergency was issued for the area of Greensboro, North Carolina, late Friday as up to 4 inches of rain had fallen. According to storm reports from the National Weather Service, several vehicles were trapped in floodwater, and some of the occupants had to be rescued. There was also a concern that the dam of Friendly Lake had at least partially failed.
Storm reports also showed that a bridge had been partially washed out near Gaffney, South Carolina.
At least eight people were killed by Debby as it made a lengthy trek across the East Coast this week. It made two landfalls in the U.S. – first in Florida as a Category 1 hurricane last Monday and second in South Carolina as a tropical storm on Thursday.
Read more of this story from FOX Weather.