Tropical Storm Debby Leaves Trail of Disasters, Prompts Restoration Efforts

Tropical Storm Debby is responsible for the deaths of at least fix people after having spawned at least 11 tornadoes confirmed by the National Weather Service as of Aug. 8.

This includes four tornadoes in Florida, four in South Carolina, and three in North Carolina. A tornado watch is in effect for than 6.8 million people along the East Coast.

Since crashing into Florida as a Category 1 hurricane on Monday, Debby has dumped more than a foot of rain over parts of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. The deluges have engorged rivers, flooded roadways, and trapped people in cars, homes, and boats.

The system picked up additional speed and lost more strength as it moved through North Carolina and into northern Virginia from Thursday to Friday. By Aug. 10, Debby will have accelerated through Pennsylvania and New York before moving through New England. This brings more heavy rain and flash flooding to a region already drenched by storms earlier this week.

Further, potentially dangerous heat has been hovering over the Southeast in Debby’s wake since Thursday, and is expected to continue through the weekend as storm recovery continues.

Since Debby has reached the Carolinas, Duke Energy’s nearly 7,500 line workers, vegetation workers, and other support personnel are still working to restore power.

As of noon on Aug. 8, nearly 300,000 Duke Energy customers in the Carolinas have experienced an outage.

With more than 4.5 million clients, Duke Energy offers some safety and restoration tips for areas still riding out the storm’s effects.

Post-storm safety

• Stay away from power lines that have fallen or are sagging. Consider all lines energized, as well as trees, limbs, or anything in contact with lines.
• If a power line falls across a car that you are in, stay inside the car. If you MUST get out of the car due to a fire or other immediate life-threatening situation, do your best to jump clear of the car and land on both feet. Be sure that no part of your body is touching the car when your feet touch the ground.
• Downed lines will be hard to see in the rain and can potentially be hidden in standing water. If you encounter large pools of standing water, stop, back up, and choose another path.

Power restoration process

Before power can be restored, crews must assess the extent of damage—which can take 24 hours or more—to determine the crews, equipment, and supplies needed for repairs.

High-water reminders

Individuals who live along lakes and rivers and in flood-prone areas should pay close attention to local media reports and updated weather forecasts for changes in weather conditions and water levels.

Electrical safety guidelines for floods

• If rising water threatens your home or business—or if you evacuate due to flooding—turn off your power at the circuit breaker panel or fuse box.
• Electric current passes easily through water, so stay away from downed electrical lines.
• Don’t drive over—and don’t stand near—downed electrical lines.
• Never replace a fuse or touch a circuit breaker with wet hands or while standing on a wet or damp surface.
• If your home or business is flooded, power cannot be reconnected until a licensed electrician has inspected the electrical system. If there is damage, an electrician will need to make necessary repairs and obtain verification from your local building inspection authority before restoring the power.