Live updates: Tracking Tropical Storm Debby and impacts on Virginia (2024)

A tornado watch, flood watch and hazardous weather outlook are in effect for Staunton, Augusta County and Waynesboro Thursday through Friday as Tropical Storm Debby arrives in Virginia and the upper East Coast.

AccuWeather lead hurricane expert Alex DaSilva said Staunton and Augusta County could see heavy rain start as early as 5 p.m. Thursday. Read more:

Tropical Storm Debby: AccuWeather lead hurricane expert forecast for Augusta County

THURSDAY LIVE UPDATES:

11:45 p.m. Lewis Creek at Pump Street records 3.44 ft water level

Just after 11:30 p.m. Thursday, the Pump Street water level showed at 3.44 feet, up nearly three feet from the .52 feet level at 12:07 p.m. earlier in the day.

The rain paused downtown around 11:45 p.m. after around 45 minutes of powerful downpour.

11:09 p.m. Flash flood warning issued

STAUNTON — The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for Staunton, Waynesboro and parts of Augusta County. The warning is in effect until 2 a.m.

In addition, other areas under the warning include Western Albemarle County and Nelson County.

According to the National Weather Service, at 10:48 p.m., Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 2 and 5 inches of rain have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of 1.5 to 3 inches are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.

Some locations that will experience flash flooding include Staunton, Waynesboro, Crimora, Sherando, Fishersville, Greenville, New Hope, Lyndhurst, Grottoes, Crozet, Shipman, Schuyler, Free Union, Wintergreen, Afton, Montebello, Nellysford, Ivy and Arrington.

Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage and low-lying areas is expected.

9:42 p.m. Minor power outage in Augusta County

The Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative outage map is reporting a single outage around Bear Trap Road near Mt. Solon in Augusta County. The alert reports eight affected properties, power going out around 9:15 p.m. Crews are anticipated to finish fixing the line after midnight.

The Dominion Energy outage map does not report any outages in Staunton, Augusta County, or Waynesboro as of 9:45 p.m.

8:40 p.m. Another view of the current map.

Refreshing this page will give you the latest version of this map, which updates regularly.

8:10 p.m. Creek rises a foot, Pump St. intersection still clear

It's not pouring rain. It's more that kind of saturating rain. When you walk out into it, you don't feel like it's pouring. But a minute later your jeans are soaked where water is running off your raincoat or jacket. And even with a baseball cap on, your hair is getting wet. That kind of rain.

When I saw on the city's water monitors that Lewis Creek had risen about a foot since this morning at almost all the sites where the monitors are working, I walked out to view the area which had flooded so badly in the 2020 storm. The intersection of Pump St. and N. Central Ave. was still very much clear. Lewis Creek was engorged and encroaching up its banks in some places, and stormed beneath the bridge at Pump Street.

Still under control, but looking more like a live thing than it has in a long time.

Sandbags were piled up at the entrances of businesses near the intersection. Wind was beginning to fan rainwater across N. Central in giant feather-waves. Walking up High Street, a small blue car zoomed past me, beeping and trying its best to drench me in the water running downhill along the library yard.

Some things about rainy streets never change.

—Jeff Schwaner

7:53 p.m. Photos from Staunton's Wharf area

7:24 p.m. Dominion Energy crews mobilize

Dominion Energy, on its online outage map, posted the following message:

"Tropical Storm Debby has started to impact our service territory. As we monitor the situation, our crews are fully mobilized and prepared to work around the clock to restore power as safely and quickly as possible. If you experience a power outage, please make sure you report it to Dominion Energy immediately. Clickhereto report it online, report on theDominion Energy appor call us at 1-866-DOM-HELP or 1-866-366-4357.

"Please stay at least 30 feet awayfrom all downed wiresand damaged equipment. Call us immediately to report these damages at 1-866-DOM-HELP or 1-866-366-4357. If using a generator, please follow your manufacturer's guidelines to operate it safely. We appreciate your patience."

Neither Dominion Energy or the Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative are currently reporting any outages in the SAW area.

6:35 p.m. Tornado watch

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch in effect 6:15 p.m. Thursday until 7 a.m. Friday for the following areas:

• THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
• IN MARYLAND THIS WATCH INCLUDES 14 COUNTIES
• IN CENTRAL MARYLAND ANNE ARUNDEL HOWARD MONTGOMERY PRINCE GEORGES
• IN NORTH CENTRAL MARYLAND CARROLL FREDERICK WASHINGTON IN NORTHEAST MARYLAND CECIL
• IN NORTHERN MARYLAND BALTIMORE BALTIMORE CITY HARFORD IN SOUTHERN MARYLAND CALVERT CHARLES ST. MARYS
• IN VIRGINIA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 33 COUNTIES
• IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA ALBEMARLE CITY OF CHARLOTTESVILLE CITY OF FREDERICKSBURG GREENE KING GEORGE NELSON ORANGE SPOTSYLVANIA IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA ARLINGTON CITY OF ALEXANDRIA CITY OF FAIRFAX CITY OF FALLS CHURCH CITY OF MANASSAS CITY OF MANASSAS PARK CULPEPER FAIRFAX FAUQUIER LOUDOUN PRINCE WILLIAM STAFFORD IN NORTHWEST VIRGINIA CITY OF WINCHESTER CLARKE FREDERICK MADISON PAGE RAPPAHANNOCK SHENANDOAH WARREN
• IN WESTERN VIRGINIA AUGUSTA AND ROCKINGHAM COUNTIES AND THE CITIES OF HARRISONBURG, STAUNTON, WAYNESBORO
• IN WEST VIRGINIA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 5 COUNTIES
• IN EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA
• HAMPSHIRE HARDY
• IN PANHANDLE WEST VIRGINIA
• BERKELEY JEFFERSON MORGAN

Staunton tornado archive: here

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ABERDEEN, ALEXANDRIA, ANNAPOLIS, ARLINGTON, ARNOLD, ASPEN HILL, BALLENGER CREEK, BALTIMORE, BEL AIR, BERRYVILLE, BETHESDA, BOWIE, CALIFORNIA, CAMP SPRINGS, CATONSVILLE, CHANTILLY, CHARLES TOWN, CHARLOTTESVILLE, CHESAPEAKE BEACH, CLINTON, COLLEGE PARK, COLUMBIA, CROZET, CULPEPER, DAHLGREN, DUNDALK, DUNKIRK, EDGEWOOD, ELDERSBURG, ELKTON, ELLICOTT CITY, ESSEX, FAIRFAX, FALLS CHURCH, FALLSTON, FALMOUTH, FREDERICK, FREDERICKSBURG, FRONT ROYAL, GAITHERSBURG, GERMANTOWN, GLEN BURNIE, GORDONSVILLE, GREENBELT, GREENFIELD, HAGERSTOWN, HARRISONBURG, HARRISONBURG, HAVRE DE GRACE, HERNDON, HUNTINGTOWN, JOPPATOWNE, LAUREL, LEESBURG, LEXINGTON PARK, LURAY, LUSBY, MADISON, MANASSAS, MANASSAS PARK, MARTINSBURG, MCLEAN, MOOREFIELD, NORTH BEACH, ODENTON, ORANGE, PARKVILLE, PAW PAW, PIKESVILLE, POTOMAC, PRINCE FREDERICK, RANDALLSTOWN, RESTON, ROCKVILLE, ROMNEY, SEVERN, SEVERNA PARK, SHENANDOAH, SHEPHERDSTOWN, SILVER SPRING, SOUTH GATE, SPOTSYLVANIA COURTHOUSE, ST. CHARLES, STANARDSVILLE, STANLEY, STAUNTON, STAUNTON, STERLING, STRASBURG, SUITLAND-SILVER HILL, TOWSON, WALDORF, WARRENTON, WASHINGTON, WASHINGTON, WAYNESBORO, WAYNESBORO, WESTMINSTER, WINCHESTER, WINCHESTER, WOODBRIDGE, AND WOODSTOCK.

5:09 p.m. Flood watch update

National Weather Service issued a flood watch update. The flood watch begins at 5 p.m. instead of 8 p.m. Thursday for Staunton, Augusta County and Waynesboro.

5 p.m. Wind Advisory

A wind advisory was issued Thursday at 5 p.m. from the National Weather Service.

WHAT: East winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected.

WHERE: Northern Virginia Blue Ridge and Central Virginia Blue Ridge

WHEN: 5 p.m. Thursday until 11 a.m. Friday

IMPACTS: Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS: The combination of saturated ground and gusty winds will lead to scattered to numerous downed trees and power lines.

Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high profile vehicle. Secure outdoor objects.

More: FEMA issues wind advisory alert from National Weather Service

3:17 p.m. The rain begins in Staunton

3:05 p.m. 'Rare' flood risk will depend on terrain

The city of Staunton posted this scary graphic. "The terrain will play a big part on what areas are impacted the most."

2:55 p.m. Staunton

The edge of the storm appears perilously close to the city of Staunton on radar, but so far that ragged edge has not touched the city yet.

1:30 p.m. Augusta County has sand and sandbags available

Augusta County is making sand and sandbags available to county residents and businesses ahead of the excessive rainfall and potential flooding as a result of the effects from Tropical Storm Debby.

The sand and bags are available in two locations:

• Augusta County Government Center – 18 Government Center Lane, Verona (south end of building, near the new Parks and Recreation offices)
• Wilson Volunteer Fire Company – 892 Mt Torrey Road, Lyndhurst

Residents must bring their own shovel and are encouraged to only take what is needed so that all residents may have access to the available supplies. Residents may fill bags at any time (access to the sand is 24/7).

More: Need sandbags? Here's where you can pick them up Thursday

1:30 p.m. CodeRED emergency alerts for Augusta County

“If flooding is imminent for you, your first priority should be the physical safety of you and your loved ones,” Augusta County Emergency Management Coordinator, Patrick Lam said. “I encourage residents to keep weather-aware for the next 48 hours by monitoring the local news and weather reports and signing up forCodeRED emergency alerts.”

Augusta County uses the emergency notification system CodeRED to keep local citizens informed in the event of an emergency or disaster. CodeRED alerts are free and individuals must register in order to receive notifications.

Please register for CodeRED athttps://bit.ly/AugustaCodeRED For more information about the county’s use of this alert system, visitwww.AugustaCountyVA.gov/alerts.

1 p.m. Staunton issues press release on Tropical Storm Debby preparations

Aug. 8, 2024 – The City of Staunton is preparing for heavy rain, possible flooding, and power outages from Tropical Storm Debby Thursday and Friday and encourages community members to do the same. The latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center will bring the center of the tropical system very close to the I-81 corridor and could bring the city 4-6 inches of rain. Even though Staunton and the surrounding areas need rain, too much, too quickly could still lead to flooding.

City Preparations: Early this week, Public Works placed an order for extra fuel and started checking emergency generators and equipment, including trucks and chainsaws. Parks and Recreation and Public Works have been clearing storm drain inlets and removing debris near pipes and culverts that may have impeded the flow of runoff, leading to flooding. The city has also started a slow release of water at Lake Tams in Gypsy Hill Park to increase its stormwater retention capacity. The city has also been updating its stream depth and rain gauge sensors. You can access them at www.staunton.va.us/floodawareness to monitor the heavy rain. These can be used as another tool to help monitor the weather, but should not be used as your only way of getting emergency updates.

Resident Preparation: Before the heaviest rain arrives, residents can use this time to check around their homes for runoff issues, including clogged gutters, disconnected downspouts, and any debris covering the storm drain near their homes. Now is also a good time to secure items that could be carried away by rising water or high winds. Charge devices today and locate flashlights and batteries now to prepare for potential power outages.

Sandbags & Flood Control: The city will provide supplies for residents and business owners to fill sandbags at two locations today (Thursday, Aug. 8) from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Go to Public Works at 1911 Craigmont Road or the Montgomery Hall Park Soccer Fields parking lot. Please consider whether sandbags are likely to help based on your property slope and where runoff typically goes. Some places are more susceptible to flooding than others and there is a limited quantity available. The city advises owners and occupants equipped with flood shields, to mount the shields as a precaution. After the storm, disposal of sandbags will be the responsibility of residents and businesses. You can store them filled, or empty them, saving the bags and use the sand by raking it into your soil, adding to planters, or using it in flowerbeds. Empty bags are not recyclable.

Emergency Alerts: The city urges residents to subscribe to Staunton Alert Message, the city’s emergency alert system, as a way to stay connected if the storm severely impacts the city. Residents can opt to receive emergency alerts via text, phone call, and/or email. Residents should also stay tuned to the city’s Facebook page for updates. In an emergency, always call 911.

Safety Precautions: Flooding is the biggest hazard during Debby for our area. Motorists should never attempt to drive through flooded roadways. Most injuries and deaths during flooding occur in vehicles. Remember: turn around, don’t drown. This evening, it’s best to stay off the roads if you can. Hidden dangers and flooding become significantly more challenging to see in the dark. If you must be on the roads and come to a traffic intersection without power, treat it like a 4-way stop. Avoid parking in flood-prone or low-lying areas, especially from Thursday evening through Friday morning. Downtown residents are encouraged to park in the upper levels of either the New Street Garage or Johnson Street Garage.

Power Outages: Stay away from downed poles and powerlines. The line could be energized and dangerous. Please report to 866-DOM-HELP (866-366-4357). Report power outages with the Dominion Energy App, on the Dominion Energy website, or by calling 866-366-4357.

12 p.m. Staunton Flood Awareness System

To keep track of flooding, go to the City of Staunton's Flood Awareness System where you can view the city's overview of street flooding and subscribe to receive alerts.

"Right now, five of the stream depth sensors are working and three of the rain gauges are working," said Josh Knight, communications manager for the City of Staunton.

On the dashboard you can see each one that is reporting: https://stauntonva.onerain.com/dashboard/?dashboard=3c7a9b52-c5e1-4092-b938-ee86cdc665f4. "That means all but one depth sensor is working."

"I do like to remind people that these sensors are just another layer of monitoring and protection," said Knight. "They are an additional tool, and should not be used alone for decision making."

11:30 a.m. Free parking in Staunton garages

"The New Street and Johnson Street garages are open and free," according to the City of Staunton. "We are encourage people to avoid parking in low-lying areas downtown and use the garages."

10:30 a.m. Flood watch

A flood watch remains in effect from Thursday evening through Friday evening, according to the National Weather Service.

WHAT: Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues to be possible.

Need sandbags? Here's where you can pick them up Thursday

WHERE: Portions of Maryland, including the following areas, Central and Eastern Allegany, Extreme Western Allegany, Garrett and Washington, Virginia, including the following areas, Albemarle, Augusta, Central Virginia Blue Ridge, Clarke, Culpeper, Eastern Highland, Frederick VA, Greene, Madison, Nelson, Northern Virginia Blue Ridge, Orange, Page, Rappahannock, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Warren and Western Highland, and West Virginia, including the following areas, Berkeley, Eastern Grant, Eastern Mineral, Eastern Pendleton, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, Morgan, Western Grant, Western Mineral and Western Pendleton.

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WHEN: From this evening through Friday evening.

IMPACTS: Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS: The remnants of Debby will move northward through the area, leading to heavy rainfall tonight into Friday. A widespread 3 to 5 inches of rainfall is expected within the Watch area, with localized totals up to 8 inches.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS: You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action should Flash Flood Warnings be issued. Please visit www.weather.gov/safety/flood for flood safety and preparedness information.

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5: 30 a.m. Hazardous Weather Outlook

A hazardous weather outlook was also issued by the National Weather Service at 5:36 a.m. Thursday.

WHERE: Washington-Frederick MD-Carroll-Northern Baltimore- Northwest Montgomery-Northwest Howard-Northwest Harford-Augusta- Rockingham-Shenandoah-Frederick VA-Page-Warren-Clarke-Nelson- Albemarle-Greene-Madison-Rappahannock-Orange-Culpeper- Northern Fauquier-Southern Fauquier-Western Loudoun- Eastern Loudoun-Northern Virginia Blue Ridge- Central Virginia Blue Ridge-Northwest Prince William-Hampshire- Morgan-Berkeley-Jefferson-Hardy

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of eastern West Virginia, northern and central Virginia, and central and western Maryland.

DAY ONE: Thursday, a flood watch is in effect beginning at 8 p.m. this evening for much of the outlook area. Scattered to numerous instances of flooding are possible, especially tonight. There is a considerable threat for flash flooding for areas near the Blue Ridge Mountains. A brief tornado or two is possible this afternoon through tonight, especially along and south of Interstate 66.

DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN: Friday through Wednesday, the flood watch continues through 8 p.m. Friday evening. Some river flooding could linger into the weekend. A brief tornado or two is possible Friday, mainly near the Interstate 95 corridor.

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Where is Hurricane Debby right now?

Tracking Tropical Storm Debby

For the latest information on the track and potential impacts from Debby, please consult forecasts from the National Hurricane Center at hurricanes.gov.