Debby returns to SC and the slow-moving tropical storm continues to drench the Midlands

After a lull where Debby was over the Atlantic Ocean, the tropical storm returned to South Carolina on Thursday, and is continuing to soak the Columbia area as it slowly moves through the Palmetto State.

A flood watch is still in effect in much of the Midlands, and the National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings and alerts about strong winds and heavy rain Thursday morning.

At about 2 a.m., Debby returned to South Carolina when it made landfall near Bulls Bay, the National Weather Service said in a morning briefing. The tropical storm is moving northwest at 7 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The plodding pace means more rain continues to fall in the Midlands, where up to 4 more inches could be recorded through Friday, the National Weather Service said in the briefing. Localized amounts in other parts of the area could be higher, the National Weather Service said.

More than 6 inches of rain previously fell in parts of the Midlands on Tuesday, as a result of the tropical storm.

With all of the continued and excessive rain a flooding threat persists through Thursday night, as Debby comes closer to the Columbia area, according to the briefing.

The flood watch that runs through Friday morning includes Richland, Lexington, Kershaw, Sumter, Lee, Clarendon, Calhoun, Fairfield and Orangeburg counties.

Excessive runoff could result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations, according to the National Weather Service. Extensive street flooding and flooding of creeks and rivers are possible.

A flash flood warning was issued for the town of Kershaw, Cheraw and Pageland.

The threat of river flooding will persist even after Debby has moved beyond South Carolina as area rivers will continue to respond to the heavy rainfall, with some reaching moderate to major flood levels into the weekend, according to the briefing.

Flooding isn’t the only threat posed by all of the rain, which also has made powerful wind gusts a greater concern, the National Weather Service said.

Saturated soils will allow trees to be knocked over at lower wind speeds, as gusts between 25-35 mph are possible, according to the briefing. Damage to trees and branches creates the possibility of downed power lines and outages.

A series of special weather statements were issued early Thursday by the National Weather Service, warning of wind gusts as powerful as 50 mph in northern parts of the Midlands.

Tornadoes are no longer considered a threat, according to the briefing.

As of 8 a.m., Tropical Storm Debby had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and tropical-storm-force winds that extended up to 185 miles out, according to the National Hurricane Center.

When Debby is further up the coast, more thunderstorms are possible in the Columbia area over the weekend, but showers are only expected on Friday, according to the forecast. The rest of the weekend calls for sunny conditions with temperatures in the 90s.