Ravaging Storm Debby Leaves Trail of Destruction Along U.S. East Coast

Weakened Storm Debby moved north along the U.S. East Coast, causing tornadoes and flooding from Maryland to Vermont. Downgraded to a post-tropical depression, it submerged homes and triggered evacuations. Tornadoes were reported in Delaware and North Carolina with substantial rainfall expected. Afterward, a heatwave is anticipated in the southern U.S.

Ravaging Storm Debby churned north along the U.S. East Coast on Friday, sowing devastation through tornadoes and heavy rains, potentially causing catastrophic flooding from Maryland to Vermont before blowing out to sea. The National Weather Service has issued flood warnings and tornado watches from coastal Georgia to New England, as the storm advances northeast at a higher speed of 35 miles (56 km) per hour compared to earlier in the week.

This storm, now a post-tropical depression, remained centered over northern Virginia early Friday morning. Since making its initial landfall as a Category 1 hurricane on Florida's Gulf Coast on Monday, Debby has submerged homes and roadways, compelled evacuations, and prompted water rescues as it creeps up the Eastern Seaboard.

The National Weather Service reported a handful of tornadoes since Thursday, including a confirmed one near Marshallton, Delaware, where there were no injuries or damages reported. However, earlier a tornado tragically killed a man in eastern North Carolina's Wilson County after his house collapsed. The storm also damaged 10 houses, a church, and a school.

North and South Carolina bore the brunt of Debby's torrential rainfall. Forecasts predict an additional 3 to 6 inches of rain in southeastern North Carolina, reaching up to 15 inches overall, and another 1 to 3 inches in eastern South Carolina, totaling an astonishing 25 inches. Further north, anticipated rainfall ranges are 10 inches in Virginia and 2 to 4 inches from Maryland to Vermont.

Subsequent to Debby's departure, a heatwave is forecast for Florida and the Deep South on Friday, with temperatures expected to soar above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37 C) across the region.

(With inputs from agencies.)