NYC Nasty Week Ahead Thanks to Hurricane Debby’s Influence
08/04/24
Good morning everyone. The Northeast continues to marinate in muggy, tropical air thanks to a slow moving frontal boundary and tropical moisture riding up the coast. We have a very nasty week ahead for the East Coast as a whole due to the influence of what-will-be Hurricane Debby very shortly; and we think it could harken memories of Hurricane Florence back in 2018 in terms of horrendous flooding.
As this article is being typed, Tropical Storm Debby has winds of 65mph and is moving NNW at 13mph. Barometric pressure continues to drop, and we are expecting Debby to reach hurricane strength long before making landfall. It wouldn’t surprise me at this point with her slow movement, that she’s a strong category 1 or even a category 2 hurricane before making landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida.
This ups the ante on projected storm surge, with 6-10ft of surge possible above sea level. The slow movement of Hurricane Debby is what could put her in the historic category though. When Debby comes ashore in Florida, we are expecting her to stall out over Georgia, then meander near the Georgia and South Carolina border before showing some movement.
This slow process is going to cause major if not catastrophic flooding due to long periods of heavy showers and thunderstorms over the same area. While we have the storm surge, tornado risk, and wind damage, I believe the rain flooding is what’s going to be Debby’s footnote in history. While making landfall from a different direct and not over the exact same area, Debby will be compared to Florence in the upcoming weeks as far as rain flooding.
The biggest risk will be central and southeast Georgia, central and coastal South Carolina, northeast Florida, and possibly parts of North Carolina depending on where it wobbles and how long it takes to depart. Stay tuned for the latest watches and warnings, and evacuate if advised to do so.
Here is your local NYC Metro forecast –
SATELLITE
We have clouds, high humidity, and scattered tropical showers and storms today. Highs a muggy mid 80’s.
WEATHER RADAR
Sunshine returns tomorrow, but it’s short lived. It’ll also be hot & muggy as highs reach into the 90-95 realm. Clouds roll in on Tuesday as a front sinks down from the north and interacts with Debby’s tropical airmass. Look for numerous heavy showers and storms by afternoon/evening. Muggy mid 80’s return.
Wednesday is much cooler but still very muggy. Look for cloudy skies both Wednesday and Thursday with on and off tropical showers and storms. Highs in the 75-80 range on Wednesday and Thursday.
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