Significant flooding was expected across southeast North Carolina and eastern South Carolina Thursday and Friday as Tropical Storm Debby made a second landfill just north of Charleston.
“Debby will continue to slowly move over the Carolinas, bringing heavy to torrential rain to North Carolina, South Carolina, and the East Coast states through the end of the week,” the National Weather Service said in a bulletin Thursday morning. “A major flooding threat exists in North Carolina and Virginia Thursday.”
Residents tarp their roof after Tropical Storm Debby passed over the Isle of Palms, South Carolina, on Tuesday (AP Photo/Mic Smith)
A tornado was reported east of Raleigh, North Carolina, and more were expected, the Associated Press reported. At least 10 homes were damaged in Wilson County, according to WRAL TV news. Flooding closed Interstate 95 near Fayetteville, North Carolina.
In South Carolina, near the second landfall spot, residents were cleaning several inches of water from their homes. In Georgia, authorities said four dams were breached northwest of Savannah in Bulloch County, but no deaths were reported, the AP noted.
In Florida, where Debby made its first landfall early Monday as a Category 1 hurricane, the state’s chief financial officer issued an emergency order Wednesday, extending the time period in which property owners can cancel a contract with public claims adjusters.
CFO Jimmy Patronis, who has long complained about the surfeit of public adjusters after storms, said in a bulletin that the contract rescission period has been extended, from 10 days to 30 days. The order also requires public adjusters to respond to policyholders within 7 days, and requires all adjusters to identify themselves before signing a contract.
“Following any disaster, fly-by-night contractors and so-called claims representatives will swoop into a storm-impacted area and try to come between you and your insurance policy,” Patronis said in the statement. “Most of the time, these bad actors give legitimate adjusters and contractors a bad name and are only in it to make a quick buck off vulnerable Floridians. It’s truly despicable.”
The order will be in effect for 60 days.