01:06
Debby's death toll rises to 8 after woman dies in North Carolina
Authorities in Rockingham County rushed to the scene Thursday evening in Brown Summit on a report that a tree had fallen on a mobile home. Sadly, upon their arrival, first responders found 78-year-old Hilda Windsor Jones dead inside the home, the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office told FOX Weather.
BROWN SUMMIT, N.C. – The death toll from Hurricane Debby continues to rise as the storm slowly moves up the Eastern Seaboard, unleashing a dangerous flood and tornado threat for millions of Americans.
Authorities in Rockingham County, North Carolina, rushed to the scene Thursday evening in Brown Summit on a report that a tree had fallen on a mobile home. Upon their arrival, first responders found 78-year-old Hilda Windsor Jones dead inside the home, the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office told FOX Weather.
No one else was in the house at the time, and it is believed that the tree fell due to weather from the remnants of Debby, deputies said.
A Brown Summit, North Carolina, woman died Thursday night when a tree fell on her home, the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office said.
(Rockingham County Sheriff's Office)
The latest death came the same day following Debby's second U.S. landfall near Bulls Bay, South Carolina.
FEMA's Urban Search and Rescue Team also located the body of a missing person in Lucama, North Carolina, after the person's house collapsed on them during a tornado Thursday.
06:01
Debby's impacts turn deadly in North Carolina
A powerful tornado from Debby tore through Wilson County, leaving significant damage in the small town of Lucama. Wilson County Director of Communications Stephen Mann joins FOX Weather with more on what happened.
As Debby made its presence known in the Carolinas, Springfield Middle School in Lucama also suffered extensive damage from what was likely the same twister.
Wilson County Schools Superintendent Lane Mills told FOX Weather that the damage to the school was heartbreaking. The tornado appears to have hit the 6th- and 7th-grade halls the hardest, where sections of the roof and walls were missing or compromised.
"I am thankful that students and staff were not in the building during the time of the storm," Mills said. "This situation will be ongoing, and we don’t yet know the full extent of the damage, but we will be sharing information and next steps with our families and staff as we can."
05:27
Raw video: Springfield Middle School in Wilson County, NC damaged by tornado
Video of Springfield Middle School in Wilson County, North Carolina, shows major damage to the school.
Additionally, the National Weather Service in Wilmington, North Carolina, issued Flash Flood Warnings on Thursday morning for several counties in southeastern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina.
Cleanup is underway in the small southern North Carolina town of Bladenboro after heavy rainfall from Debby swamped it Wednesday night.
"At 9:30 p.m. it was dry as a bone, and at 10. p.m. it was like someone opened up a floodgate," Charles Peterson, head of Bladen County Commissioners, told FOX Weather.
By 11 p.m., downtown Bladenboro was underwater with about 4 feet of water, town officials stressed on social media, as roads turned into rivers.
Emergency management reported thunderstorms producing heavy rain in Bladenboro just before 5 a.m. ET after 5-8 inches of rain had fallen, flooding all roadways into the small town. Bladen County Emergency Services issued a voluntary evacuation order for residents in and around the town.
'PRAY FOR EVERYONE': FEET OF WATER FLOODS NORTH CAROLINA TOWN AS TROPICAL STORM DEBBY CHARGES INLAND
Tropical Storm Debby floods Bladenboro, North Carolina
Heavy rainfall and surge from Tropical Storm Debby have caused inland flooding, swamping the entire town of Bladenboro, North Carolina.
Debby's heavy rain and wind also caused the PGA to postpone the first round of the Wyndham Championship at the Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina, until Friday.
President Joe Biden has approved emergency declarations for Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Florida. These declarations authorize FEMA to provide federal assistance to save lives, protect property and ensure public health and safety.
Debby continues causing problems
After making its initial landfall along Florida’s Big Bend on Monday morning as a Category 1 hurricane, Debby dumped more than 20 inches of rain, sent feet of storm surge flooding into Southwest Florida and knocked out power to more than 300,000 customers in the Sunshine State at the height of the storm.
EXCLUSIVE ANALYSIS: GET THE LATEST FROM BRYAN NORCROSS
However, Debby is far from done.
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A Brown Summit, North Carolina, woman died Thursday night when a tree fell on her home, the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office said. (Rockingham County Sheriff's Office)
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A Brown Summit, North Carolina, woman died Thursday night when a tree fell on her home, the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office said. (Rockingham County Sheriff's Office)
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Heavy rainfall from Tropical Storm Debby have caused inland flooding, swamping the entire town of Bladenboro, North Carolina. (Bladen County Sheriff's Office)
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Flooding along the Edisto River due to Tropical Storm Debby in South Carolina. (S.C. Dept. of Natural Resources)
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Tree damage in Lucama, North Carolina after an apparent tornado hit on Aug. 8, 2024 after Tropical Storm Debby's landfall. (Robert Ray/FOX Weather)
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Tree damage in Lucama, North Carolina after an apparent tornado hit on Aug. 8, 2024 after Tropical Storm Debby's landfall. (Robert Ray/FOX Weather)
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A U-Haul rental center is flooded after the passage of Tropical Storm Debby in Savannah, Georgia, on August 8, 2024. Tropical Storm Debby made its second landfall in the United States on August 8, the National Hurricane Center said, days after it lashed southeastern parts of the country, leaving at least six dead. Debby made landfall near Bulls Bay South Carolina, about 20 miles (35 kilometres) northeast of Charleston, the NHC said in an morning advisory, warning of major floods in parts of the Carolinas and Western Virginia. (Photo by CHRISTIAN MONTERROSA/AFP via Getty Images)
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Heavy rainfall from Tropical Storm Debby have caused inland flooding, swamping the entire town of Bladenboro, North Carolina. (Bladen County Sheriff's Office)
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Tornado damage to Springfield Middle School in Wilson County, North Carolina on Aug. 8, 2024. (WRAL)
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Waves crash ashore on Carolina Beach in Pleasure Island, North Carolina, on Wednesday. (Robert Ray)
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Waves crash ashore on Carolina Beach in Pleasure Island, North Carolina, on Wednesday. (Robert Ray)
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Crews work to help water drain as homes are flooded in the Tremont Park neighborhood August 6, 2024 in Savannah, Georgia. (Megan Varner)
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Homes are flooded in the Tremont Park neighborhood August 6, 2024 in Savannah, Georgia. (Megan Varner)
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A man walks on a flooded street due to Tropical Storm Debby on August 06, 2024 in Charleston, South Carolina. (Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo)
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Houses are seen in a flooded street due to Tropical Storm Debby on August 6, 2024 in Charleston, South Carolina. (Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo)
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A street is flooded by Tropical Storm Debby on August 6, 2024, in Charleston, South Carolina. (Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo)
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Power line crews come out to help people who are experiencing difficulty with their power August 6, 2024 in Savannah, Georgia. (Megan Varner)
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STATESBORO, GEORGIA - AUGUST 7: Homes in the Allen Circle neighborhood are underwater after excessive rains caused flooding on August 7, 2024 in Statesboro, Georgia. Tropical Storm Debby has stalled over the South East, causing flooding and power outages throughout the region. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images) (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)
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Heavy rainfall from Tropical Storm Debby have caused inland flooding, swamping the entire town of Bladenboro, North Carolina. (Bladen County Sheriff's Office)
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Heavy rainfall from Tropical Storm Debby have caused inland flooding, swamping the entire town of Bladenboro, North Carolina. (Bladen County Sheriff's Office)
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Wilson County, North Carolina first responders check on a home in Lucama after an apparent tornado hit on Aug. 8, 2024 after Tropical Storm Debby's landfall. (Robert Ray/FOX Weather)
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Wilson County, North Carolina first responders check on a home in Lucama after an apparent tornado hit on Aug. 8, 2024 after Tropical Storm Debby's landfall. (Robert Ray/FOX Weather)
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Tropical Storm Debby's impacts turned severe overnight in North Carolina. A likely tornado has caused damage in Wilson County, which is about an hour east of Raleigh, the state capital. ()
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Emergency management reported thunderstorms producing heavy rain in Bladenboro just before 5 a.m. ET after between 5-8 inches of rain had fallen, flooding all roadways into Bladenboro. (Austin Taylor)
Heavy rainfall across portions of southeastern North Carolina and eastern South Carolina is expected to persist through Friday, leading to areas of considerable flooding, the National Hurricane Center said.
WATERLOGGED NORTHEAST BRACES FOR DEBBY'S WRATH AS REGION FACES POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING FLOOD THREAT
NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center issued a Level 4 flood risk, the highest threat on its scale, for parts of southeastern and north-central North Carolina and western Virginia on Thursday. The flood risk shifts into the Northeast on Friday.
01:53
Large alligator strolls across South Carolina road during Tropical Storm Debby
A large alligator was seen crossing a road in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina as Tropical Storm Debby drenched the region on Monday, footage shows.
The first-ever "Particularly Dangerous Situation" Tornado Warning in the state of Delaware was issued on Thursday evening. The twister knocked over trees and caused hundreds to lose electricity, mainly in the northern part of the state.
Tornado sightings were also reported in North Carolina and Virginia as Debby continued to work northeastward.
Tornado damage in in Milltown, Delaware on Thursday evening.
