Debby-triggered flooding traps people in homes and forces rescues in Pennsylvania
By Elizabeth Wolfe, Robert Shackelford, Mary Gilbert and Alaa Elassar, CNN
(CNN) — Fast-rising floodwaters from Debby’s extreme rainfall has overwhelmed communities and fueled a dangerous situation in the Northeast, damaging homes, inundating roads and forcing rescues.
Rare flash flood emergencies – the most severe flood alert – were issued early Friday afternoon for portions of southern New York and northern Pennsylvania, warning of life-threatening and catastrophic flooding. The floodwaters had trapped people in their homes and forced evacuations via boat and helicopter.
Debby has exited the Northeast but its heavy rain left a footprint of flooding and a trail of tornado damage spanning hundreds of miles.
At least seven people have died in the Southeast since Debby crashed into Florida as a Category 1 storm on Monday. Its torrential downpours and strong winds have shredded homes, flooded neighborhoods and trapped people in cars, homes and boats – and sweltering heat across the region this weekend could make recovery efforts more difficult.
Here’s the latest:
• Helicopters help with rescues in Pennsylvania: Officials received hundreds of calls for help, including several who needed to be rescued by air from dangerous flooding in northern Pennsylvania’s Tioga County, county commissioner Shane Nickerson told CNN. Water rescues were ongoing Friday afternoon, with 80 to 90 people still needing to be evacuated from their homes. Emergency crews have also been caught up in the flooding. Helicopters and boats have been dispatched to assist in flood response efforts, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency told CNN. The Pennsylvania National Guard has been called in to help, according to Nickerson.
• Pennsylvania emergency declaration: Gov. Josh Shapiro took to X Friday evening to announce a disaster proclamation spanning 21 counties. The response will “make available more resources and cut red tape as we respond to severe storms and flooding from the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby,” Shapiro wrote.
• Three flash flood emergencies at once: Debby’s torrential rainfall triggered life-threatening flooding situations at the Pennsylvania-New York border Friday afternoon. A flash flood emergency was issued for southern New York’s Steuben County and another was issued shortly after for the nearby cities of Whitesville and Andover. Hundreds of homes are currently under a mandatory evacuation order, according to Steuben County Manager Jack Wheeler. “Numerous areas are flooded with people trapped in homes” in Steuben County, according to the National Weather Service. About 40 swift water rescues have been reported in the area, according to Wheeler, and the storm has damaged homes, businesses, roads and bridges. Evacuation orders were lifted for the villages of Addison and Canisteo later Friday because of receding waters. Another flash flood emergency was issued in the northern Pennsylvania town of Westfield. All of these areas were dealing with dangerous flooding, according to the National Weather Service.
• Life-threatening flooding in North Carolina: The Greensboro area was under a flash flood emergency Friday night after heavy rainfall. “Water rescues have already occurred. Seek higher ground now,” the National Weather Service in Raleigh said. Road and vehicle flooding resulted in multiple water rescues, the Greensboro Police Department said.
• Tornado and flash flood warnings for DC: Several tornado warnings were issued for the Washington, DC, area including one near Reagan National Airport just after 8:20 a.m. Friday. The warning was canceled less than 20 minutes later, but underscored how quickly Debby’s threats ramp up. Multiple flash flood warnings were issued for the greater area with rain falling at extreme rates of more than 1 inch every 20 minutes. Torrential rain quickly ponded on roadways and caused issues for public transportation in the area. Multiple lines of the district’s Metrorail service were experiencing delays due to flooding.
• Water rescues in waterlogged South Carolina: Debby fed gushing rain over parts of South Carolina overnight, prompting dozens of water rescues north of Charleston, according to local officials. At least 26 water rescues occurred in Berkeley County as of Friday morning, emergency management spokesperson Jenna-Lee Walls told CNN. Most were around Moncks Corner, about 30 miles north of Charleston, where a rare flash flood emergency was issued. The area received almost 9 inches of rain in six hours, with 2 to 3 feet of fast-moving water on roads, the National Weather Service said. No serious injuries were reported. Roadways in and around the area remained seriously flooded.
• States of emergency in Virginia, New York and New Jersey: Frederick County, Virginia, was under a state of emergency Friday morning due to flooding that forced multiple water rescues, officials said. The area is around 60 miles west of Washington and tucked into the Appalachians. Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for all of New York as the remnants of Debby impact the region. New Jersey will be under a state of emergency starting at 6 p.m., Lt. Gov Tahesha Way said in a post on X Friday.
• Death toll ticks upward: 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 that day, a county sheriff said. A man was found dead in North Carolina’s Wilson County 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.
• Florida activates state response and water rescues: At least 130 people, including a family of five in a flooded apartment and four people and their pets on the roof of a barn, were rescued by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers and evacuated due to high water conditions, according to a news release from Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Florida National Guard has mobilized over 2,300 guard members in response to Debby and has helped rescue at least 154 people. Efforts to restore power, clear debris and assist wildlife impacted by the storm are underway.
Residents displaced after homes flood
The drenching rains left homes inundated with water and took some residents by surprise.
Saravana Karthik told CNN affiliate WPVI that emergency rescue crews evacuated him and his family from their home in Avondale, Pennsylvania, by boat after more than five feet of water left his basement completely underwater.
“It’s completely dangerous to stay there because it’s fully underneath water,” Karthik said.
Disaster teams with the American Red Cross have opened shelters and are providing assistance to displaced residents impacted by the remnants of Debby.
“For right now, we’ve got food, we’ve got a place for them to stay and we’re taking care of their immediate needs,” Jennifer Graham, regional CEO for the American Red Cross told WPVI.
Across the state line, residents were also dealing with damage and flooded homes in New York’s Steuben County.
Ann Farkas, who lives in Canisteo, New York, told the Associated Press it was the first time her home has flooded since she moved there in 1976. Though the water has gone down, she now has to shovel out layers of thick silt and contend with repairs.
“Like a lot of people, I don’t have flood insurance, so I doubt my homeowner’s is going to cover any of this,” she told the Associated Press.
Three kids rescued from Raleigh creek
Debby has dumped more than a foot of rain over parts of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas this week, triggering flooding that has prompted water rescues as some people became trapped in homes and vehicles as murky floodwaters rose around them.
Three children in Raleigh, North Carolina, were rescued Thursday after slipping into the rushing waters of a creek that had been fed by Debby’s rainfall, local fire officials said.
The children – 11-year-old Andrew; his 8-year-old sister, Evelyn; and their friend – told CNN affiliate WRAL they had been trying to cross the creek while playing but were caught off guard by the swift-moving water. When rescue personnel arrived, the kids were hanging on to a tree branch.
“It was very scary because the water – it was just rushing on and there were a bunch of sticks and they were hitting us. And it was really scary because at the end, (my friend) was barely holding on,” Evelyn told WRAL.
Another child who had safely crossed the creek was able to call 911. “The rescue team came just in time,” Evelyn said.
“These kids were very lucky today!” the Raleigh Fire Department said on X. “We know creeks & rivers will be high today, which makes them very dangerous. Please stay safe, Raleigh!”
Raleigh had seen 5.35 inches of rain from Debby as of Thursday night, and other parts of North Carolina have received more than a foot of rain, including more than 15 inches in Kings Grant and 11.94 inches in Wilmington.
CNN’s Rebekah Riess, Joe Sutton, Amanda Musa, Sharif Paget, Andy Rose and Monica Garrett contributed to this report.
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