Heavy Rain, Flooding Forecast As Debby's Remnants Move Toward MD

A stormy and wet week is in store for the Baltimore-Washington, D.C., region as the remnants of what was Hurricane Debby — downgraded Monday morning to a tropical storm — bring the potential for heavy downpours and flooding, forecasters warn.

According to the National Weather Service, an approaching cold front will cross the region early Wednesday, bringing rains that will continue off and on through Saturday.

"Tropical Storm Debby is forecast to move inland over South Carolina on Thursday and track slowly northeastward across eastern North Carolina and Virginia later this week. As tropical moisture increases, expect an uptick in showers and thunderstorms each day along with the threat of heavy rainfall," the NWS said in its daily summary. "Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is possible."

Debby will become a tropical depression by Friday before passing over the Delmarva and off the coast for the weekend, the NWS Baltimore-DC office said.

"There remains a huge range in potential rainfall amounts that are dependent on whether Debby stays to the east along the coast or spirals westward into the central/southern Appalachians,
the NWS said. "If the westward spiral of Debby were to come true, then the risk of flooding
would increase even in areas west of Blue Ridge. This is due in part to repetitive rounds of rainfall and high rain rates over a shortened period of time. Right now, locations along and east
of the Blue Ridge have the greatest chance to see heavy rainfall and potential flooding concerns."