Debby drops nearly 8 inches of rain on Sumter region

Tropical Storm Debby exited South Carolina on Thursday, and cumulative rain totals for Sumter, Clarendon and Lee counties were in the range of 5.5 to 7.5 inches.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Leonard Vaughan, based in Columbia, provided the summary totals and conditions to The Sumter Item on Friday and also gave a short-term forecast for the area.

The City of Sumter water plant in the historic district tallied 6.17 inches of rainfall from Sunday through Friday morning, according to the weather service. An official weather site in Manning in Clarendon County registered 7.51 inches during the timeframe, and another in Bishopville, in Lee County, totaled 7.62 inches of rainfall.

The storm fell short of the earliest map projections that forecasted 10 to 15 inches of rain for the Midlands, Vaughan said.

"The storm ended up being on the lower side for the Midlands, but I think that is actually a good thing because we have some issues with even the amount of rain that we did get," he said. "If we would have gotten more rain, I think we would have had even more problems."

All rivers in the greater Sumter region - Pocotaligo, Congaree, Wateree and Lynches - are experiencing some form of flooding, Vaughan said.

There were also several reports of low-end flash flooding in areas such as Swan Lake, Cains Mill Road and southern portions of Sumter County, he added, but not any that required rescue scenarios from people's homes.

The worst effects from the tropical storm were felt in the Lowcountry to include Colleton, Dorchester, Berkeley and Charleston counties, which experienced a range of 12 to 22 inches of rainfall.

An area between Moncks Corner and Goose Creek in Berkeley County registered 22.02 inches, according to the weather service, to include 6 to 9 inches on Thursday night.

As of Friday morning, Post Tropical Cyclone Debby - as the storm became referred to on Friday - was in western Virginia and projected to quickly move this weekend up the northeastern part of the U.S., Vaughan said.

SHORT-TERM FORECAST

With sunshine on Friday and Saturday, the heat returns to the region. The high temperature Saturday is expected to be in the low 90s with a 40% chance of thunderstorms, according to the weather service. On Sunday, there is a 60% chance of showers and thunderstorms with temperatures close to 90.

Vaughan said there will be lots of humidity during the next several days, given all the rainfall the region has experienced. High temperatures Monday through Thursday will be in the mid- to upper 80s with a chance of afternoon showers or thunderstorms each day. Given the humidity, temperatures will feel like the 90s though, he added.

COUNTY AGENCIES REPORT MINIMAL IMPACT

A road conditions and overall response report from the Sumter County Sheriff's Office on Thursday echoed the weather service's findings.

"Thankfully, the impact of Debby on our area appears to have been minimal," said Mark Bordeaux, public information officer for the sheriff's office.

As of noon Thursday, the sheriff's office was not aware of any flooded roadways or obstacles hindering the flow of traffic.

Sheriff Anthony Dennis encouraged residents to use caution and drive with care while being alert to areas where standing water may have caused a vehicle to hydroplane.

"Even small areas of water could cause a car to hydroplane. ... Just because a road is not flooded, does not mean that it is safe to drive the speed limit," Dennis said. "It is always important to maintain a safe distance from the drivers in front of you, but especially on wet roads."

Elsewhere across the county, Sumter County Government's Emergency Operations Center was deactivated about 9:45 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 8.

There were reports of a few trees coming down, and there were minimal power outages, but Sumter County did not feel the brunt of Tropical Storm Debby, said Joe Perry, communications coordinator for the county.

County government offices opened for normal business at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 9.