NYC Debby tracker: Remnants bring flooding, strong winds across NJ, NY, CT
NEW YORK - Debby, a hurricane-turned-tropical-depression, slammed New York City with whipping winds and "Debby Downpours."
New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a State of Emergency for New York on Friday due to the weather conditions.
"Remnants of Debby are causing severe flooding and tornado warnings are being issued throughout the state.," Gov. Hochul said.
A tornado watch was in effect through 10 p.m. Friday evening and for most of northern New Jersey, all of New York's Lower Hudson Valley and parts of northern Connecticut.
MORE: Tornado watch vs warning, explained
Though the storm has tracked westward, softening its blow to the Tri-State. forecasters expect heavy rain, severe isolated thunderstorms, strong winds and dangerous rip currents.
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New York City Emergency Management issued a travel advisory for Friday due to the threat of rain and flooding. Flight delays are expected to continue, and the Yankees have rescheduled tonight's game against the Texas Rangers.
Debby has killed at least eight people in its slow trek up the East Coast, according to FOX Weather.
Here's everything you need to know about Debby's threats to the NYC area, a timeline for the storm and when, finally, the rain will stop:
Debby threats: Forecast for rain, winds, tornado watch
Tornado watch
A tornado watch was issued for parts of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.
As Debby mixed with an area of low pressure, severe thunderstorms brought a tornado risk, according to the National Weather Service in New Jersey.
"A more inland track of the remnants of Debby places our region in the more favorable zone for the tornado risk," the agency reported.
Rain totals and flooding threats
NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center (WPC) placed much of our area under a Level 2 out of 4 flood risk on Friday. New York City, which experienced rounds of torrential rain, flooding and severe weather on Tuesday, has been placed in a Level 1 flood threat.
About 1 to 3 inches of rain are expected in New York City and the surrounding suburbs. The NWS still warns of scattered flooding throughout urban areas.
New Jersey can expect the most rainfall, and rivers may crest after a week of consistent rain.
Long Island and southern Connecticut will see less, around 1 inch.
Winds
The system could bring gusts up to 50 miles per hour to Long Island and New York City, according to the National Weather Service.
When will it stop raining? | Timeline
Friday afternoon
The storm connects with the cold front and hits New Jersey first, followed by New York, before moving north.
At this point, isolated severe thunderstorms could bring strong wind gusts and possible tornadoes to the area.
Friday evening
The storm will reach its peak between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Saturday morning
The storm will clear by Saturday morning, but river flooding threats could linger.
Sunday morning
Through Sunday, many locations in New York could see an additional 3 to 5 inches of rain from what's left of Debby, according to FOX Weather.
Debby's path
After the first landfall, Debby slowed down significantly as it spun across northern Florida and Georgia, eventually making its way into the Carolinas where it dropped feet of rain and triggered countless reports of flooding.
Debby then moved offshore over the open ocean before swinging back toward the East Coast of the U.S., making its second U.S. landfall in South Carolina with winds of about 50 mph.
Crews work to help water drain as homes are flooded in the Tremont Park neighborhood August 6, 2024 in Savannah, Georgia. (Megan Varner)
At least eight people have been killed due to Debby’s impacts, and power was knocked out to hundreds of thousands of utility customers across the Southeast.
The FOX Forecast Center said that on Friday, Debby, which will be quickly transitioning from a tropical storm to a post-tropical storm, will be pushing through interior portions of the Northeast.
While on patrol, a Bladen County deputy's vehicle occupied by two deputies was nearly missed by a large tree that fell Wednesday eveing. (Bladen County Sheriff's Office)
The extreme amounts of tropical moisture still being produced by the storm, combined with a dip in the jet stream off to the west, are expected to produce heavy precipitation from the central Appalachians through the interior Northeast and northern New England.
- from FOX Weather