Debby Drenches Eastern Seaboard

What began as Hurricane Debby was downgraded to a Category 1 storm as it made landfall in Florida on Monday, delivering winds of 75 miles per hour. The weather system has taken seven lives since Monday.

Sarasota Florida sustained widespread flooding after receiving 11 inches of rain. Parts of Manatee County saw 21 inches of rain as the system moved through the area.

Once downgraded to a Tropical storm, Georgia saw as much as 9 inches of rain in a 24-hour period which caused flooding in low-lying areas. 

North and South Carolina experienced widespread flooding due to the system, which dropped rain at 1-3 inches per hour. Businesses in Bladenboro, North Carolina saw extensive flooding damage. A middle school in Lucama, North Carolina sustained damage from a tornado spawned by the storm. 

Flooding in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas will continue to get worse as rainfall works its way downstream. Officials are encouraging those who live in floodplains to continue to evacuate the area.

The storm has spent the last few days drenching a good portion of the Eastern seaboard with massive amounts of rain. The only bright light from the devastating weather was the reduction in the overall drought picture for the region. 

The Mid-Atlantic states can expect significant rain through the weekend as Debby crawls to the northeast. The potential for tornadoes remains in the region.

In the mountains and out West, fires continue to ignite in the tinder dry areas from Colorado to California.

In the northern part of the Golden State, firefighters battled the reawakened Park Fire, a massive blaze that exploded Monday and grew by as much as 20 square miles in about 12 hours.

The Park Fire, California’s largest so far this year, had already scorched nearly 647 square miles by Tuesday.

Firefighters were told during their morning briefing to focus on safety and be mindful of extreme fire behavior including intense and rapidly moving flames.

The Park Fire was allegedly ignited by arson on July 24 outside Chico, and has destroyed 640 structures and damaged 52.

For Market to Market, I’m Peter Tubbs