‘We are prepared’: South Carolina braces for potentially ‘unprecedented’ rainfall from Tropical Storm Debby

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCBD)- The first bands of heavy rainfall from Tropical Storm Debby reached the South Carolina coast on Monday and state officials are bracing for potentially “catastrophic” flooding over the next several days.

“This is an animal that we don’t think we’ve seen before,” Gov. Henry McMaster said during a Monday afternoon news conference in Columbia.

Debby was downgraded to a tropical storm Monday after making landfall near the Big Bend region of Florida as a Category 1 storm.

The storm trekked across Florida and into southeast Georgia where it is expected to reemerge over the Atlantic and off the South Carolina coast at a slow pace.

Forecasters say potentially historic heavy rainfall across southeast Georgia and the coastal plain of South Carolina is expected through Saturday morning, which will result in considerable flooding.

“Rainfall amounts could exceed what some locations have ever experienced in the past,” John Quagliariello of the National Weather Service said, adding that rainfall totals could “rival amounts seen during the 2015 flood.”

While the exact impacts of Debby are unknown, McMaster assured residents that state agencies are ready to respond.

“We are prepared,” McMaster said. “Everyone is on deck. We’ve gone through these many times before.”

McMaster declared a State of Emergency on Sunday, enabling state agencies to coordinate resources in preparation for possible impacts.

Emergency management officials urged residents in flood-prone and low-lying areas to seek higher ground, noting that flooding is the top cause of death during a tropical storm.

“Just six inches of fast-moving water can knock a person off their feet and two feet can sweep most vehicles away as well,” SC Emergency Management Division Director Kim Stenson said.

Multiple parking garages were opened across the Charleston area for people to keep their vehicles safe from floodwaters.

Additionally, there are seven shelters open across the state where people can seek refuge from the storm. Those staying in the shelters are encouraged to bring important documentation, special foods, and enough medication for a potentially prolonged stay.

Crews with the South Carolina Department of Transportation began cleaning out drainage ditches over the weekend in anticipation of the drenching rain. Some crews were moved from the Upstate to assist with the bulk of the response.

Law enforcement patrols have been enhanced across the Midlands and the Lowcountry. Drivers are, however, advised to stay off the roads through the duration of the storm.

Still, officials said local, state, and regional search and rescue teams are on standby should they be needed. Teams from Tennessee, Alabama, and Michigan are on hand to assist with the operations, as well as from FEMA.

McMaster urged all residents, not just those along the coast, to take precautions but said that he does not plan to issue large-scale evacuations or close state agencies.