Update Aug. 8:
Debby made landfall in South Carolina around 2 a.m. Thursday and crossed into North Carolina soon after.
Over 75,000 people across the Carolinas were without power as of 6 a.m. Thursday. Duke Energy reported having 7,500 employees working to restore power in the region and also donated $50,000 to the American Red Cross to support recovery efforts.
By 1 p.m., North Carolinian outages had soared to 125,000. As of 6 p.m., the number had fallen to just over 71,000.
Several tornadoes formed in North and South Carolina Thursday morning, destroying several homes and killing one North Carolinian.
A tornado watch was issued for Durham and Wake counties until 8 p.m. Thursday. It was later extended through 7 a.m. Friday.
Per a Duke Today announcement, "In the event of a tornado warning, which indicates a tornado has been sighted or indicated on radar, Duke officials will send a text and email notification to students, faculty and staff. If the warning area includes Duke's main campus, the sirens will also be activated along with text and email notifications to direct individuals to seek shelter immediately."
Debby was downgraded to a tropical depression around 5 p.m. by the National Hurricane Center.
Below is the original article.
The Duke and Durham communities may see impacts from Tropical Storm Debby this week, including heavy rainfall, possible flooding and power outages.
The storm made landfall in western Florida as a Category 1 hurricane around 7 a.m. Monday morning but was downgraded to a tropical storm by 11 a.m. The storm was responsible for four deaths in Florida and one in Georgia as of Monday evening.
Debby is following a northeastern path and is projected to cross through Georgia and South Carolina in the coming days. Much of North Carolina is expected to see heavy rainfall Tuesday through Friday as a result of the storm, but a potential northern turn could redirect Debby into the center of the state.
According to a Thursday morning update to a Wednesday Duke Today statement on the storm, Debby is projected to produce heavy rainfall and possible flash flooding across the state before weakening into a tropical depression Thursday evening. Durham is not expected to experience major flooding.
Community members can report major flooding or downed trees on the University campus to Facilities at (919) 684-2122 or at Duke Hospital or the School of Medicine to Engineering and Operations at (919) 684-3232.
Gov. Roy Cooper issued a state of emergency Monday afternoon, citing “the potential for life-threatening flash flooding, riverine flooding, wind gusts up to 40 mph, coastal impacts and other effects.”
“As the weather becomes more severe, I urge everyone to take precautions and stay safe,” Cooper said.
Cooper’s executive order activates the State Emergency Operations Plan and empowers the N.C. Department of Transportation and N.C. Department of Public Safety to “take the appropriate action” to facilitate recovery efforts.
North Carolina is bracing for flooding impacts, with parts of the state expected to receive 10 to 20 inches of rainfall. The city of Raleigh began lowering the water level of Lake Johnson Sunday in anticipation of the influx.
A Monday afternoon advisory from the National Hurricane Center placed the Raleigh-Durham area at “moderate risk” — at least 40% — of flash flooding and cautioned the region’s residents against “dangerous storm surge.”
Communities across North Carolina could also experience power outages as a result of the storm. Duke Energy — North Carolina’s primary utility company — sent many employees from midwestern states to Florida to aid in recovery efforts but kept North Carolina crews close to home to prepare for possible outages.
“We are going to see conditions with Debby that were very similar to [Hurricane] Florence — that slow plotting pace of storm with heavy rain,” said Duke Energy spokesperson Jeff Brooks.
Florence was one of three massive flooding events experienced by North and South Carolina in the past decade, each of which caused over $1 billion in damage. Hurricane Joaquin was responsible for no deaths in either state in 2015, while Hurricane Matthew accounted for 24 deaths across the Carolinas in 2016, and Hurricane Florence claimed 51 lives in 2018.
Recent hurricanes have produced record levels of flooding as warmer oceans due to climate change have led to more rapid storm intensification and greater rainfall.
Debby is the fourth named storm of the 2024 Atlantic season, following Tropical Storm Alberto, Hurricane Beryl and Tropical Storm Chris.
A Tuesday afternoon message from Duke Housing and Residence Life advised current residents to ensure windows are shut and locked, to keep laptops and phones charged in the event of a power outage and to “stay indoors if possible” during the height of the storm.
“Our campus teams have already begun campus preparations, securing outdoor furniture, clearing storm drains, looking for damaged tree limbs and stocking residential areas with supplies such as extra paper towels, toilet paper and mops,” the email reads.
Students who experience maintenance issues due to the storm are encouraged to contact the Housing and Residence Life office as soon as possible — the East Campus Office can be reached at (919) 684-5320, the West Campus Office at (919) 684-5486 and the Swift office at (919) 684-5813. The offices are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and any emergency issues outside of business hours can be reported to the RA-on-Call for the area.
Any delays or cancellations to campus services will be communicated on the Duke Parking and Transportation website, Duke Dining website and Duke University Libraries website.
Medical Center parking garages will be available to all current permit holders from 3 p.m. Thursday to 9 a.m. Friday. The Bryan Center Garage and Science Drive Garage will be available to current permit holders from 3 p.m. Thursday to 3 p.m. Saturday.
Duke’s Emergency Management website lists a number of resources in the event of extreme weather and advises community members to monitor local news and the DukeALERT website for the most updated information. Additional resources can be found at the National Weather Service’s Hurricane Preparedness website and Ready.gov’s Hurricanes page.
Editor’s note: This article was updated Tuesday afternoon with information from Duke Housing and Residence Life. It was updated multiple times Thursday with new information on Debby's progress.
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Zoe Kolenovsky is a Trinity junior and news editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.