ROANOKE, Va. – Friday Afternoon Update
The Weather Authority Alert Day issued through Aug. 9 has expired.
Friday Morning Update
A couple of threats remain as Tropical Depression Debby moves toward the northeast. The storm is now moving at 35mph and is kicking up winds as she exits the region. We will see winds gusting close to 20-30mph through this morning.
Along with the threat of wind, a couple of our rivers will rise. The Dan River near Danville is expected to peak near 23.4 feet later tonight. The river will enter minor flood stage.
The Dan River at South Boston will also peak near 26.3 feet later this weekend. It will peak later on because this location is downstream.
The Roanoke River at Roanoke is expected to peak at 6.5 feet later this afternoon.
While most of our local rivers will enter ‘action’ or ‘minor’ flood stages, the overall news is good because all crest levels are down this morning. The original forecast for most rivers were many feet higher, but because of the speed at which Debby marched through the region, the rain totals are down. This means river flooding is also down!
Here is a look at some of the rain totals across the viewing area over the past 48 hours. Most spots saw 1-4 inches of rain.
A couple of spots saw around 8 inches of rain. This happened around mountain peaks because as the winds pushed air up the mountain, upsloping occurred. As the air rose, it cooled and condensed. Thus, creating rain and adding to the rain totals along parts of the mountains.
Thursday Morning Update - 9:00 AM
Here is the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center. The next update will come at 11:00am later this morning.
The flash flood risk has been increased to include most of Southwest and Central Virginia today. This is a level 4/4 threat, the highest we have seen in over 4 years.
Rainfall estimates are anywhere from 3-8 inches locally, with a couple of spots potentially seeing more.
An areal flood watch is still up for the majority of the state today. This is in effect until 12:00am Saturday morning.
The tornado risk for the day is highest for Lynchburg and Southside. We have already seen multiple warnings take place to our south with numerous confirmed tornadoes.
Here is a look at futurecast this afternoon. Heavier rain begins to move in as the center of circulation nears the viewing area.
We will continue to see these widespread tropical rain bands move in from the south all day long. Please continue to keep an eye on the weather. Stay safe out there everyone!
Wednesday 11 p.m. UPDATE
Tropical Storm Debby is about to make landfall near Georgetown, South Carolina. It will then move north and pick up pace a bit. Our worst weather will come Thursday afternoon through Thursday night as the storm moves directly overhead.
Wednesday 6:30 PM UPDATE-
Tropical Storm Debby has taken more of a western turn, which means greater rainfall totals and a greater chance for severe weather within our region.
The entirety of our viewing area is now under a Flood Watch due to the risk of excessive rainfall causing widespread flash flooding. Rainfall totals of 5-8″ are possible, with locally higher amounts possible. The Weather Prediction Center (WPC) has put parts of our region in a high risk for flash flooding. The last time our viewing area was under a high risk was May 21, 2020, when Tropical Storm Isaias came through the area.
We can reasonably expect widespread rainfall arriving around 12 pm Thursday, and lasting until late Friday morning. The greatest chance for severe weather will be in the afternoon Thursday, and continue into the night. We can reasonably expect a few tornadoes to spin up.
Again, be sure to avoid driving through standing water, as flooded roads can appear much shallower than they actually are. Widespread flooding is the biggest risk with this storm, and cannot be understated. There could be a few power outages as well with the combination of severe weather, damaging winds, and trees being knocked over.
Wednesday 11:30 AM Update
The latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center is in. The threat for flooding across the region has also increased with this latest advisory.
The flash flood risk has expanded further west. It now includes the city of Roanoke and parts of the New River Valley. A level 3/4 moderate risk is in effect for tomorrow.
An areal flood watch is in effect for parts of the New River Valley and the Highlands. It now includes all of the Roanoke Valley, Lynchburg, and Southside until 12:00am Saturday.
Wednesday Morning Update
The latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center was released at 8:00am this morning. It shows a more west leaning track, which means more localized impacts for Southwest and Central Virginia.
Some of the main concerns with Tropical Storm Debby are gusty winds, and heavy rainfall amounts. Localized flooding could happen in some of our backyards at a quick rate. This, paired with gusts of wind could knock out power for some.
Rain potential across the southeast and mid-Atlantic is still very high. Parts of the Carolinas are still expecting upwards of five inches of rain.
Because of the high rain amounts, there is an areal flood watch in effect for the majority of the southeast coast. This also includes areas along the mid-Atlantic.
Local rainfall estimates, provided by the weather prediction center, are near 3-5 inches. With that said, there is an expectation for some areas to receive higher amounts. Eight to ten inches of rain in isolated spots is not out of the realm of possibilities.
Areal flood watches are up for the majority of Lynchburg, and all of Southside until 12:00am Saturday morning. As of now, the main flooding threat is for parts of the Roanoke Valley, Lynchburg, and all of Southside.
Futurecast shows a second US landfall from Debby at some point tonight along the South Carolina coastline. This is when Debby will begin to track north and pick up speed after spending nearly 3 days in the southeast.
By Thursday night and Friday morning, the center of Debby is expected to track near Southwest and Central Virginia. Regardless of where the center of circulation is located during this time, the threats still remain the same. Torrential tropical on and off rain, and gusty winds from time to time.
As always, when making preparations for a tropical storm, it is crucial to make sure you have completed everything necessary before its arrival.
Tuesday Morning Update
Debby is expected to continue its slow and grueling track. Eventually, it will return over the Atlantic Ocean where it will look to regather some strength. This will only provide more fuel for the storm that is currently dumping devastating rain across the southeast.
Future rainfall estimates show that nearly 20 inches of rain could fall in isolated spots of the Carolinas. Notice the large swath of rainfall impact this storm brings.
Debby is slowing down because of the synoptic (large-scale) flow. Two areas of high pressure are creating a counterflow to the north of Debby. This is slowing down the forward progression of the storm and will allow for onshore winds and heavy rains to continue along the east coast for several days.
Debby is expected to make its second US landfall late Wednesday into Early Thursday at tropical storm strength. This is when impacts will begin to be felt across southwest and central Virginia. As Debby starts its trek to the north, our cloud cover will increase, along with an increase in shower/storm potential and a decrease in temperatures.
The rainfall potential across areas of the mid-Atlantic is looking troublesome. Areas surrounding the viewing area could see up to 7 inches of rain with the possibility of more in localized spots.
Since the forecast has become more confident and continues to grow in confidence, the Weather Prediction Center has increased the flooding risk for the region. Southside areas are now in a moderate risk for flooding, while the threat slightly decreases as you head west.
A high risk for flash flooding exists just to our south. It should be noted that this high of a flooding threat is rarely issued, and this event should be taken seriously. Tropical rain can be extremely heavy and torrential.
At the moment, local rainfall estimates show amounts anywhere from 0.5 to 4.0 inches of rain. While this number may not be concerning for some, it should absolutely be taken seriously.
Considering the recent drought in most areas, or vice versa, the heavy rain, there is a considerable threat for flash flooding to unfold across the region.
Any deviation in Debby’s current track could make a huge difference in the impacts we see. As always, for direct information regarding TS Debby, please visit the National Hurricane Center.
For the latest info and local impacts, download our weather app.
We will also have online coverage of Tropical Storm Debby that will be available to stream at 5 p.m. Thursday.