Debby impact: Dozens of flights canceled at RDU as NC preps for flooding

At Raleigh-Durham International Airport on Monday, 47 flights were delayed and 33 flights were canceled as Tropical Storm Debby pounds Florida.

Debby could impact North Carolina’s coast by late Monday, and the Triangle will start to see rain on Tuesday, according to WRAL meteorologists.

State and local agencies are preparing for the storm’s arrival, with the city of Raleigh’s Emergency Management Services team lowering lake levels, allowing the bodies of water to hold more water and reduce flooding concerns.

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Along the coast on Monday, rough water was already picking up at Wrightsville Beach, and workers were warning people to stay out of the water as conditions become dangerous.

“This is really going to be all about the rain,” WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said, explaining the greatest threat to our state will be flooding.

The heaviest rain is expected to fall in our area between Wednesday and Friday, when there is the greatest risk for flooding.

Estimated rain totals from Debby include:

• 10-16 inches for Wilmington
• 8-10 inches for Fayetteville
• 6-8 inches for Raleigh

WRAL News spoke with Justin Graney, North Carolina Emergency Management’s chief of external affairs and public information officer, about how the state is preparing for Debby.

On Monday afternoon North Carolina was in “enhanced status,” which places emergency managers across the state to assist local communities with resource allocation, or “where do we need to shift resources to best address the situation?,” Graney explained.

Flooding is especially a concern this week after days and weeks of rain. July was the wettest July to date, with a record 9.11 inches of rain, 5.2 inches above the normal rainfall amount for July.

“We are concerned with flooding and the additional rain that’s going to come,” Graney said. “A lot of areas saw flooding this weekend, and we’re going to continue to see a lot of rainfall throughout the state. The time to prepare is now.”

ReadyNC.gov is a great resource to help people plan for a hurricane. People can also visit FIMAN.nc.gov, North Carolina’s Flooding Inundation Mapping and Alert Network, to sign up to get alerts when rivers near their home are at risk for flooding.

“You need to prepare a disaster kit for your home and have a plan of action in case it’s needed for a disaster,” Graney said.

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