Tropical Storm Debby: No injuries or fatalities reported in SC, Gov. McMaster said

Tropical Storm Debby is moving up the Southeast and has already begun to impact the Midlands. Columbia could see up to 10 inches of rain between Tuesday and Thursday, as the storm slowly crawls north. Here are the highlights from Tuesday:

3:20 p.m. Governor, National Weather Service urge continued caution

Gov. McMaster and other state officials updated the public at a 2 p.m. press briefing Tuesday on conditions in South Carolina as Debby continues its course along the Southeast. Despite damage reports along the state’s coastline, including a tornado in Edisto Beach, no injuries or fatalities have so far been reported, McMaster said, but he warned that the threat of severe flooding across the state remains very high.

“This storm is creeping across our state. Creeping across,” McMaster said Tuesday afternoon. The storm is expected to linger over the Atlantic Wednesday before turning back inland Thursday. The greatest impacts of the storm are expected to be seen Thursday when the storm turns back inland.

While winds from the storm have not reached hurricane strength, said John Quagliariello of the National Weather Service in Columbia, “threatening flashing flooding is ongoing, which has closed roadways and resulted in some water rescues.”

“We’ve already experienced significant rainfall, with widespread nine to 13 inches across southern South Carolina,” Quagliariello said. “Gusty winds have downed a significant number of trees across the coastal plain and Eastern Midlands causing some power outages. Some of the highest wind reports through midday so far include a 63 mile an hour gusts at Folly Beach, 59 man hour gusts at Battery Point in Charleston County, 56 mile an hour wind gusts at Idle Palms, 55 mile an hour wind gusts at Buford, and 52 mile an hour wind gusts to Charleston airport.”

2:55 p.m. Road closures, mostly in Lowcountry

According to the S.C. Department of Transportation, as of midday Tuesday, there were closures on approximately 48 state-maintained roadways, mostly in the Lowcountry.

“All major interstates remain open, bur SCDOT is actively monitoring conditions, especially on Interstate 95 where several ramps are closed because of standing water,” SCDOT states.

You can view current road closures on an interactive map on the Department of Transportation’s road information system web page.

1:10 p.m. More power outages across the state

More than 12,100 power outages were being reported across the Palmetto State as of 12:57 p.m. Tuesday, according to poweroutage.us, which collects power outage data from across the U.S.

In terms of providers, Dominion Energy reportedly had about 8,200 customers out of power as of about 1 p.m. Tuesday, while the Upstate’s Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative had about 1,100 outages

Initially Tuesday morning it was the Lowcountry that was seeing the bulk of South Carolina’s power outages. That continued into the afternoon, as Colleton County had more than 3,000 outages as of 1 p.m. Tuesday, while Beaufort County had more than 3,200.

But the afternoon also saw more outages in the Midlands and Upstate. There were nearly 1,000 outages in the Midlands’ Sumter County as of 1 p.m., and more than 1,100 outages in the Upstate’s Pickens County.

1 p.m. Lexington schools to open as planned

Lexington School Districts 1 and 2 still plan to hold their first day of classes Wednesday with in-person classes. Lexington 4 had its first day last week but moved to e-learning Tuesday, but will return to normal classes Wednesday. Lexington School District 3 will also have regular classes Wednesday.

Richland School District 1 will also hold in-person classes Wednesday, but will start on a 1-hour delay. Lexington-Richland School District 5 has not yet made a determination about Wednesday classes.

11:40 a.m. Closures in Columbia, West Columbia and Cayce

The Cayce and West Columbia riverwalks are closed, likely for the rest of the week as portions of the trails have flooded. Flooding is also expected at the Saluda Riverwalk.

The city of Columbia is reporting cancellations across the city, and has also closed all public pools, and is reporting the cancellation of National Night Out events across the city. The following National Night Out events that were scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 6, are canceled:

• Belvedere Community, 3606 Thurmond St. 6-8pm
• Fairwold Acres, Fairwold Park on Frye Rd. 6-7:30pm
• Burton Heights- Standish Acres Neighborhood Association, Busby Street Community Center
• Eau Claire Print Building, 3907 Ensor Avenue, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Hollywood Rose Hill, 216 South Gregg Street

These National Night Out events have been postponed:

• Edisto Court, Edisto Court Community Center- postponed to Saturday, August 10 from 12-3pm
• Galaxy N.A.– 1813 Neptune Dr. postponed to Saturday, August 10 at 6pm
• Golden Acres, 4811 Katy Street- postponed to Tuesday, August 13, 2024 from 6-8pm
• Cottontown, Sumter St. between Confederate and Summerville- postponed to Tuesday, October 1 from 5-7pm
• Colonial Park, Lincoln Park and Colonial Heights, locations, TBA- postponed to Tuesday, October 1- from 7-9pm
• Lyon St. Community, St. Anna’s Park- postponed to Thursday, October 10 from 6-7:30pm
• National Night Out Postponed, no later date confirmed. Pinehurst Park2300 Pinehurst Road, Columbia, SC5:30 pm – 8:30 pm Contact: Robert McCray- 803-733-8449

• Katheryn M. Bellfield Booker Washington Heights, 2611 Grant Street, Columbia, SC 29203. 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm. Contact: Tamara Turner- 803-255-8161. No date confirmed.

• Greenview Park, 6700 David Street, Columbia, SC, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm, Contact: Teresa Geter- 803-754-5223. No date confirmed.

Lexington County Sheriff’s Department reports all National Night Out events in Lexington have also been canceled or postponed.

All Richland County library branches will close Tuesday at 6 p.m.

11:30 a.m. Damage reported in Lowcountry SC

The storm is causing damage in South Carolina. Charleston’s ABC News 4 shared photos Tuesday of severe damage at an Arby’s fast-food store in Moncks Corner. The photos showed chairs and tables strewn into a parking lot, and a large truck turned upside down.

11:10 a.m. South Carolina launches hotline

South Carolina has launched a toll-free hotline residents can call if they have questions about Tropical Storm Debby. “Operators with the State’s Public Information Phone System are available 24 hours a day for as long as needed,” according to a release from the state’s emergency management division.

If you have questions about Debby, such as about the state’s response or safety precautions you should take, call: 1-866-246-0133

The state Emergency Operations Center is fully activated at Operating Condition ONE as state agencies respond to impacts from Debby.

11 a.m. Power outages across the state

More than 16,300 power outages were being reported across the Palmetto State as of 10:49 a.m. Tuesday, according to poweroutage.us, which collects power outage data from across the U.S.

In terms of providers, Dominion Energy reportedly had about 8,000 customers out of power as of about 11 a.m. Tuesday, while Berkeley Electric Cooperative had about 7,200 customers without power, the website reported.

Looking at some of the worst affected counties in the Lowcountry on Tuesday morning, there were about 3,300 power outages in mostly rural Colleton County as of Tuesday morning, 7,200 outages in Berkeley County, 1,900 outages in Charleston County, and about 2,100 outages in Beaufort County.

10:45 a.m. State to clamp down on price gouging

As Tropical Storm Debby approaches South Carolina, price gouging laws have gone into effect across the state. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson put the law into effect Sunday following Gov. Henry McMaster’s declaration of a state of emergency. It will remain in place until the state of emergency expires or is terminated. The law applies to both the price of goods as well as the rental or lease of a dwelling, including a motel or hotel, according to South Carolina law.

While fluctuations in price are to be expected, according to the Attorney General’s Office, the law is meant to act as a “general prohibition of unconscionable prices during times of disaster. ”An “unconscionable price” is one that “grossly exceeds” the price of that good in the previous thirty days. Price gouging is a misdemeanor punishable by a $1000 fine and up to 30 days in jail.

“We can expect normal price increases, and those are not considered price gouging under our law. But we may see businesses and individuals looking to unfairly take advantage of the situation through price gouging of food, gasoline, lodging, and other commodities as defined by the statute. By our law, that’s a criminal violation and an unfair trade practice,” Wilson said.

Anyone who believes that they may have been a victim of price gouging is asked to contact the Attorney General’s Office by email: pricegouging@scag.gov, on their website https://www.scag.gov/price-gouging/ or by phone at 803-737-3953.

10:30 a.m. Charleston extends curfew, Columbia prepares for storm

The City of Charleston enacted a curfew on the Charleston peninsula Monday. Tuesday morning the city extended the curfew until 7 a.m. Wednesday. Roads leading onto the peninsula are closed, and the city will determine if the curfew needs to be extended again Wednesday morning. Charleston Mayor William Cogswell said the curfew will help reduce calls to the Charleston Fire Department.

Tropical Storm Debby dumped eight inches of rain on Charleston late Monday and into Tuesday as the water-swollen weather system moved into South Carolina, city officials said. The storm is expected to produce another three to six inches in Charleston during the next 12 to 14 hours, Cogswell said during a news conference Tuesday morning.

The City of Columbia is preparing for heavy rain to reach the Midlands. The Columbia Police Department Tuesday morning said there have been no weather-related crashes so far this morning. The city is setting up barricades and sandbags at some flood-prone streets, like in Five Points and the Whaley Street area.

9:30 a.m. Tornado hit Edisto Beach, concerns of local dam failing

At least one tornado hit Edisto Beach Monday evening, damaging property and downing power lines, the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Tuesday. No injuries were reported. The Colleton County Fire Department has also warned that the McGrady Dam “has the potential to fail” and has advised residents living near the intersection of Cane Branch Road and Cavanaugh Road to evacuate immediately.

9 a.m. Tuesday, flood watches in effect

Flash flood watches are in effect across the Midlands. Debby was moving slowly through Georgia early Tuesday morning, heading toward South Carolina. Rain has already begun falling in the Columbia area. Heavy rain is expected throughout Tuesday and into the following days, according to a National Weather Service briefing Tuesday morning.

Columbia is expected to see as much as 10 inches of rain. Areas along the Interstate 20 corridor and the area south of the highway could see even more rain, according to the weather service.

A flood watch has already gone into effect, and it includes Richland, Lexington, Kershaw, Sumter, Lee, Clarendon, Calhoun and Orangeburg counties. The flood watch is currently listed as running through Thursday night.

Monday afternoon

Government officials spent Monday afternoon preparing for the upcoming storm and issuing warnings to residents, urging people to stay off the roads in the coming days except for emergencies as flash floods are likely.

“This (storm) is an animal that we don’t think we have seen before,” South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said Monday during a news conference at the South Carolina Department of Emergency Management. “So, we must be very very prepared.”

Debby is expected to move slowly over the Southeast, which weather officials say is expected to lead to prolonged weather impacts.

“This includes tropical storm force winds, storm surge along the coast, a few tornadoes and the dreaded catastrophic flash and urban flooding,” said John Quagliariello of the National Weather Service in Columbia Monday.

Monday

As rain began to fall in the Hilton Head area Monday, residents spotted a 9-foot gator wandering the streets by Celebration Park, the Hilton Head Island Packet reported.

The gator was braving early signs of Tropical Storm Debby, sitting still on the pavement as the rain started to fall. A sight like this is not uncommon when it comes to storms of this magnitude. Alligators are known to relocate during hurricanes. After Hurricane Florence slammed the Carolinas in 2018, alligators emerged from their usual home as water levels rose and were found in some unusual places, including a flooded dog park.

The following reporters from The State, Island Packet and Sun News contributed reporting: Noah Feit, Javon Harris, Chris Trainor, Ted Clifford, Sammy Fretwell, Jordan Lawrence, Patrick McCreless, Chloe Appleby, Evan McKenna, Jason Lee

This story was originally published August 6, 2024 at 9:20 AM with the headline "Tropical Storm Debby: No injuries or fatalities reported in SC, Gov. McMaster said."

Morgan Hughes

The State

(803) 771-8330

Morgan Hughes covers Columbia news for The State. She previously reported on health, education and local governments in Wyoming. She has won awards in Wyoming and Wisconsin for feature writing and investigative journalism. Her work has also been recognized by the South Carolina Press Association.