Tropical Depression Debby is accelerating rapidly toward the northeast, threatening to trigger flooding and tornadoes

CNN
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Tropical Depression Debby is expected to pick up speed Friday as it heads northeast, threatening to bring torrential rain, strong winds and tornadoes along its path.

More than 17 million people are under tornado watches through Friday morning in parts of North Carolina. Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland, the Storm Prediction Center said.

Although Debby weakened from a tropical storm to a tropical depression on Thursday, it is still capable of wreaking havoc as it moves further north toward New York and New England later Friday.

Follow the Storm: Debby’s Path

At least seven people have died in the Southeast since Debby slammed into Florida Monday as a Category 1 storm. Its torrential rains and strong winds tore apart homes, flooded neighborhoods and trapped people in cars, homes and boats. Sweltering heat across the region this weekend could make rebuilding efforts more difficult.

Here is the latest news:

• A tornado warning extends from North Carolina to Maryland: The Storm Prediction Center issued a tornado warning until 7 a.m. Friday, covering eastern North Carolina, central and eastern Virginia, eastern West Virginia and Maryland. The area includes the cities of Raleigh, Richmond, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

• South Carolina Flash Flood Emergency: The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency early Friday for parts of Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties in South Carolina, noting that flash flood rescue efforts and “dangerous and widespread flash flooding” are underway in the town of Moncks Corner. The emergency was expected to be in effect until 5:30 a.m. ET. While most of the precipitation associated with Debby had moved toward Virginia, a final band of heavy rain north of Charleston formed over the same areas, submerging soils and waterways. The band could also cause flooding as it passes through North Carolina early Friday.

• The death toll is increasing: A 78-year-old woman was found dead Thursday after a tree fell on her trailer in Rockingham, North Carolina, which was under a tornado watch earlier in the day, a county sheriff said. Earlier Thursday, a man was found dead in Wilson County, North Carolina, after his home collapsed during a tornado spawned by Debby, a county official said. At least five other storm-related deaths have been reported: four people in Florida and one in Georgia.

• More than 35 million people under flood alert: Although Friday’s rainfall will be less than earlier this week — when Debby dumped more than a foot of rain on parts of the Southeast — the Northeast faces a significant flood threat, particularly in high-relief areas. More than 35 million people are under flood warnings, spanning more than 800 miles from South Carolina to northern New York and Vermont.

• Where Debby is going: Friday’s heaviest rainfall will spread from central Pennsylvania to central New York and into Vermont. Between 2 and 4 inches of rain are expected in the region, with isolated higher amounts possible. Peak rainfall is not expected to reach New York until the evening rush hour. And by Saturday morning, precipitation associated with Debby will quickly move out of northern New England.

• The Southeast is sweating under triple-digit heat: Dangerous heat has ravaged the Southeast following Debby and is expected to continue through the weekend, creating potentially miserable conditions for recovery efforts across the region. While high temperatures in the 80s to 90s are expected, heat indices (how the body feels when heat and humidity combine) could exceed 110 degrees. Friday’s heat index could reach 112 degrees in Valdosta, Georgia, and 110 degrees in Jacksonville, Florida.

Debby dumped more than a foot of rain on parts of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas this week, triggering flooding that required water rescues as some people were trapped in homes and vehicles as murky floodwaters rose around them.

Three children from Raleigh, North Carolina, were rescued Thursday after slipping into rushing waters of a creek fed by Debby’s rains, local fire officials said.

The children — Andrew, 11, his sister Evelyn, 8, and their friend — told CNN affiliate WRAL that they had tried to playfully cross the creek but were caught in the fast-flowing water. When rescuers arrived, the children were clinging to a tree branch.

“It was really scary because the water was pouring down and there were a lot of sticks hitting us. And it was really scary because at the end, (my friend) was having a hard time holding on,” Evelyn told WRAL.

Another child who had safely crossed the creek was able to call 911. “The rescue team got there just in time,” Evelyn said.

“These kids were very lucky today!” the Raleigh Fire Department said on X. “We know the creeks and rivers will be in flood today, making them very dangerous. Stay safe, Raleigh!”

Raleigh had received 5.35 inches of rain from Debby by Thursday night, and other parts of North Carolina received more than a foot of rain, including more than 15 inches in Kings Grant and 11.94 inches in Wilmington.

CNN’s Sharif Paget contributed to this report.