Flood watch and warning remain in effect as center of Tropical Storm Debby impacts the Triad

The National Weather Service still expects 2-3 inches of rainfall Thursday afternoon and evening as Tropical Storm Debby’s center passes over the Triad.

Forsyth, Guilford and Alamance counties, among others, are under a flash flood warning until 6 p.m. Thursday and a flood watch through 9 p.m. Friday evening.

Gail Hartfield, a meteorologist with NWS, said spurts of heavy rain will come and go through most of Thursday afternoon, with conditions calming slightly as the storm moves past the Triad later Thursday evening. 

While Hartfileld said the storm will likely move down in status to a tropical depression by nightfall, she warned that only means wind speeds will slow. Heavy rainfall could continue into the night. She added that three tornadoes were either spotted or recorded touching down near population centers closer to Rocky Mount and Henderson in the last 24 hours. 

The Associated Press reported one tornado-related death this morning in the town of Lucama, located an hour’s drive east of Raleigh. 

Hartfield urges residents in the Triad to avoid all forms of travel on Thursday afternoon. 

Ben Williamson, a Duke Energy storm response spokesperson, said about 15,000 people in the Triad were experiencing power outages as of mid-Thursday. He said these outages have been caused mostly by downed power lines and floods.

According to Williamson, Duke Energy’s 7500 crews will continue working to bring power back to homes where and when conditions are deemed safe.

Santiago Ochoa covers healthcare for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. Follow him on X: @santi8a98