Downpours, Tornadoes, Flooding: Debby Grazes The Hudson Valley

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Hazardous outlooks have been issued in the region as post-tropical storm Debby roars through New York.

Orange County is under tornado watch until 2 p.m.

"Even if your county is not listed, there’s still a chance of a tornado HVW area wide. There’s a possibility that the NWS could add more counties. Please, monitor the latest weather updates and be safe," the folks at Hudson Valley Weather said on Facebook.

A Flood Watch in central New York has been expanded to include the eastern Catskills through 8 a.m. Saturday. In the mid-Hudson, some main stem river flooding is possible as runoff drains downstream. The Northeast River Forecast Center indicates increased probability of some rivers reaching moderate flood stage through Tuesday.

There is a wind advisory for southern Westchester County, and three to six foot waves are possible on the Long Island Sound.

Gusts across the region could reach 50 mph.

While rainfall totals for most of the area are forecast to be just one to two inches through early Saturday morning, some communities could see as much as three inches, and the eastern Catskills could get up to five inches, the National Weather Service said.

"Saturated soils from a wet week are a concern for localized flooding and unstable earth," Bruce Furbeck from First Due Weather said on Facebook. "Saturated soils and breezy conditions will likely blossom power outages from down trees and power lines. Be prepared."

Rainfall rates will be generally ½ to 1 inch/hr, locally 2 inches/hr possible Friday afternoon into night. There is the potential for isolated to scattered instances of flash flooding late Friday afternoon into night, along with urban and poor drainage flooding.

Closer to Debby's immediate track, 3 to 7 inches of rainfall across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states will produce considerable to locally catastrophic flooding impacts through Saturday
morning. The same cells responsible for the dangerous and prolific rainfall are also capable of producing a few tornadoes. The risk will shift into the Northeast (New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, and southeast New York) later Friday, the National Weather Service said.

It should all be over by Saturday morning.

Here's the five-day forecast based on northern Westchester:

Friday
Cloudy. A chance of showers with a slight chance of thunderstorms late this morning, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. Some thunderstorms may produce heavy rainfall this afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. South winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 40 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight
Showers with a slight chance of thunderstorms. Some thunderstorms may produce heavy rainfall. Breezy with lows around 70. South winds 15 to 25 mph, becoming southwest 10 to 15 mph after midnight. Gusts up to 40 mph. Chance of rain near 100 percent.

Saturday
Sunny. Highs in the lower 80s. West winds 5 to 10 mph.

Saturday Night
Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 60s. West winds 5 to 10 mph.

Sunday
Sunny. Highs in the upper 70s. West winds 5 to 10 mph. Gusts up to 20 mph in the afternoon.

Sunday Night
Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 60s.

Monday
Sunny. Highs in the upper 70s.

Monday Night
Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 50s.

Tuesday
Sunny. Highs in the lower 80s.

Tuesday Night
Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 60s.