Families and businesses in the South Carolina Lowcountry are being warned to prepare for widespread and dangerous flooding impacts from Debby.
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00:00This unprecedented amount of rainfall poses a real risk of life-threatening
00:08flash flooding across Charleston. In a city known for its charm, history, and
00:14flooding problems, leaders in Charleston, South Carolina are warning families and
00:19businesses not to take any chances. Get sandbags, move vehicles off of flood-prone
00:25streets to higher ground, and don't drive through flooded streets, putting
00:29yourself and others at risk. We are ready for the rescues. We are trained for the
00:34rescues. We are prepared for the rescues. Please do not make us perform the rescues.
00:41Millions of dollars have been invested in drainage improvement projects, but
00:46leaders say it won't be able to keep up with all of the water if Debbie dumps
00:51relentless rain and pushes more water against the coastline with an onshore
00:56flow. We typically get between 50 and 60 inches of rain annually, so our system is
01:04not designed to handle this kind of volume in this short of a period. The
01:10risk of intense flooding cannot be overstated. The mayor says Debbie could
01:16cause a rare level of widespread flooding, impacting areas that haven't
01:21gone underwater in years. They're urging people who are worried that they may
01:25end up stuck in flood-prone areas to pack up and leave now. In Charleston, South
01:30Carolina, for AccuWeather, I'm Bill Waddell.