By MAKIYA SEMINERA, JOHN MINCHILLO and ALLEN G. BREED
LUKAMA, N.C. (AP) — The remnants of Debbie gathered pace Friday, moving north and northeast from the Carolinas, still bringing the threat of heavy rain, flash flooding and tornadoes.
Accuweather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter said significant amounts of rain will fall across the mid-Atlantic states and parts of New York state and New England, potentially causing dangerous flooding over the weekend, such as along parts of Interstate 95 near major cities. He said a stretch of active tornadoes is possible Friday from eastern Virginia to Vermont.
“Debbie's final chapter will present multiple threats, and it's a dangerous threat,” he said.
Already soggy areas of northern Vermont were hit by two flash floods last month, with more flooding likely on Friday. Flooding that struck the state's northeast on July 30 washed away bridges, destroyed and damaged homes and washed out roads in the rural town of Linden. Three weeks ago, the aftermath of Cyclone Beryl caused deadly flooding in the north and center of the state.
The National Hurricane Center said Debbie had become a tropical depression by late Thursday afternoon. It made landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast as a Category 1 hurricane early Monday. Debbie then made its second landfall as a tropical storm in South Carolina early Thursday.
At least seven people have died related to Debbie.
The tornado triggered by Debbie flattened homes, damaged a school and killed one person on Thursday, as a tropical system brought heavy rains that flooded communities across the Carolinas.
It took just 15 seconds for the tornado to destroy Genesis Cooper's home in Lucama, North Carolina, a small town about 40 miles (64 kilometers) east of Raleigh. He would have almost fallen asleep if it weren't for the reminder on his wife's phone.
He, his wife and his 20-year-old son huddled in the bathroom covered with blankets. They felt a shock and heard glass breaking, then suddenly heard a loud bang.
“I can't even describe it. Like, suction, that's what it feels like,” Cooper said. “It's like something is squeezing, like your ears are popping.”
The tornado was one of at least three reported in North Carolina and may have been the most destructive. One person was found dead in a home damaged by the Lukama tornado, Wilson County spokesman Stephen Mann said.
The superintendent of Wilson County Schools confirmed damage to Springfield Middle School, with portions of the walls and roof missing or damaged.
Drone footage showed parts of the school's roof torn apart, exposing rafters and ductwork. A section of wall had collapsed, falling onto a wet green lawn littered with twisted pieces of metal roofing and shattered insulation.
Tornado warnings continued throughout North Carolina and Virginia Thursday night. As of 7 a.m. Friday, more than 17 million people in Washington, D.C., parts of Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia were under tornado warnings.
Meanwhile, a dam north of Fayetteville, North Carolina, burst Thursday morning, flooding the area with water from Debbie. Harnett County spokesperson Desiree Patrick said 12 to 15 homes were evacuated, but no one was injured and no buildings were damaged.
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said at a news conference on Thursday that the state had mobilized more National Guard troops and added more vehicles to rescue people from flooding.
About 100 miles (161 kilometers) south of Lucama, deputies in Bladenboro posted photos of a patrol car damaged by a fallen tree and of washed-out roads.
Townspeople helped fill sandbags Wednesday before up to 3 feet (91 centimeters) of water poured into the city center overnight.
Forrest Lennon, owner of Diamond Dave's Grill in Bladenboro, is counting his blessings despite 5 inches (13 centimeters) of water pouring into his restaurant. He and his wife have owned the place since September. Former owners said the building was flooded with 3 feet of water during the last two severe hurricanes, Matthew and Florence.
“It could have been worse,” Lennon said, adding that they had done everything they could to prepare for the storm.
More flooding is expected in North and South Carolina. Rainfall amounts of up to 6 inches (15 cm) are possible before Debbie clears these states. The weather service said parts of Maryland, upstate New York and Vermont could see similar rainfall amounts by the end of the weekend.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster warned Thursday that Debbie's impact is not over yet, as rainfall in North Carolina could raise river levels and cause flooding downstream.
“We've overcome some of the dangers, but there's still a lot of danger,” McMaster said. “So don't let down your guard yet.”
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Associated Press writers included Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina; Jeff Martin in Atlanta and freelance photographer Mic Smith in Isle of Palms, South Carolina.
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