Tracking Debby: GA 'Not Out Of The Woods, Yet,' Officials Say

GEORGIA — "We want our citizens to understand that this event is not over," Gov. Brian Kemp said Tuesday on Tropical Storm Debby.

Kemp and other state leaders shared an update on Georgia's response to Debby, the deadly storm that has been pushing its way through the southeastern U.S.

Debby is the cause of a 19-year-old person's death in Moultrie and has claimed the lives of four people in Florida, Kemp said.

Georgia officials said while Debby has offered a break for recovery efforts after hitting the Georgia coast overnight, bringing heavy winds and large amounts of rain, the center of the storm could return near the Savannah area by the end of the week and bring additional rainfall.

'Still a Lot of Water to Come'

As of early Tuesday morning, officials said the eye of the storm was focused toward the Carolinas.

The National Hurricane Center predicted Debby should clear the Georgia coast sometime Tuesday, but a major flood threat persists for the Peach State.

Kemp, who placed Georgia under a state of emergency Saturday, urged residents to remain off of the roads Tuesday so crews are able to quickly clean up before Debby's potential return.

"Let us get as much as we can done before this storm comes back and hits us again," Kemp said.

While he hopes against a possible return, he added Georgia must be prepared.

Officials said if Debby's center pushes into the Carolinas, Georgia could possibly see an additional 4-5 inches of rain by Thursday. However, if its center returns to Georgia, an additional 8-9 inches of rain could fall into Georgia by Friday.

Whichever the scenario, officials said the storm should completely clear by the weekend for recovery efforts.

For now, the primary "catastrophic threat" remains in South Carolina, said Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Dir. James C. Stallings.

He stressed, though, that Georgia is "not out of the woods, yet" as there is "still a lot of water to come."

U.S. President Joe Biden approved Monday night a pre-disaster emergency declaration so Georgia residents can have shelter, Kemp said.

Kemp himself pre-approved about 200 guardsmen to head to south and southeast Georgia for quick response, if needed, he said.

Debby's Georgia Impacts

While Georgia prepares for a possible second round with Debby, the state is still reeling from the effects of the first round.

Kemp said 47,000 people were without power as of Tuesday morning. Georgia Power in a notice said its teams were responding to outages as quickly as possible.

The governor asked residents in effected areas to show patience to first responders working recovery efforts.

"I hope you would be patient with us," Kemp said. "Do not let this storm lull you to sleep. ... Give us time to clear roads, get power crews in (and) help with emergency efforts."

The ports at Brunswick, Savannah and Charleston remained closed Tuesday morning, Kemp said.

Several advisories remained for counties along the Georgia coast.

Bulloch, Candler, Bryan, Chatham, Liberty, McIntosh, Effingham, Evans, Jenkins, Long, Screven and Tattnall are under a flood watch through Friday morning.

Savannah, Tybee Island and Ossabaw Island are under a tropical storm warning and a storm surge warning until further notice.

Bryan, Bulloch, Chatham, Effingham, Evans and Liberty are under a flash flood warning until 12:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Georgia beaches are at risk for dangerous rip currents until 8 p.m. Tuesday.

The National Hurricane Center forecast flooding could occur in Georgia for several days. By then, the hurricane center said Debby could have quickly shifted into the mid-Atlantic.

As slow moving as Debby is, AccuWeather forecasters said, it could produce "significant, life-threatening and historic" flooding. Upwards of 2 feet of additional rainfall could pour into Georgia and South Carolina before the storm's trajectory to the Northeast, AccuWeather said.

“Debby has been meandering at a snail’s pace, but it will blast to the northeast like a rocket later this week,” AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said in a news release.

Debby's Widespread Impacts

"Catastrophic flooding" could overflow through Friday due to possible record rainfall amounts in southeast Georgia and eastern South Carolina, the hurricane center said.

The flood impacts could trickle into northern North Carolina through parts of the mid-Atlantic and southern New England through Sunday morning, the hurricane center said.

The southeastern coast of the U.S., from northwest Florida to North Carolina, could see dangerous storm surge and tropical storm conditions through mid-week, the hurricane center.

Though Debby has completely passed through Florida, the hurricane center warned "deadly hazards" still exist. These hazards include downed power lines and flooded areas.

Residents are encouraged to use precaution while utilizing chainsaws and power tools, stay hydrated to avoid heat exhaustion and have properly ventilated generators to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, the hurricane center said.