Map shows how much rain Debby will bring to western Pennsylvania
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Remnants of Tropical Storm Debby have made more of an eastward shift and are now forecasted to dump upwards of 5 inches of rain on parts of western Pennsylvania this week.
The rain will move into the Pittsburgh area late Thursday night, lasting through early Friday morning. Debby's remnants are expected to hit the area quickly between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. before clearing out by the afternoon.
Debby drifted over the Atlantic early Wednesday and the National Hurricane Center expects the storm to turn back toward South Carolina to make a second landfall. Maps show it will swing upwards through Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania before continuing north.
While Debby won't be in the Pittsburgh area for long, it will leave behind several inches of rain in most places. Maps show the Laurels will get hit the hardest, with 5.49 inches expected in Somerset. Connellsville and Latrobe could get about 3 inches, while further west, places like Washington and Pittsburgh will see a little under 2 inches. Oakland, Maryland, about 2.5 hours from Pittsburgh, could get more than 6 inches.
There could be a few thunderstorms with the outer bands, and excessive rainfall could lead to flash flooding for many areas, especially east.
While there will be several inches of rain, Debby's remnants will move out Friday afternoon, leaving the Pittsburgh area dry for the Steelers' first preseason game but meteorologists will keep an eye on river levels rising through the day and into the weekend.
Debby, which made landfall in Florida as a Category 1 storm hurricane on Monday, is being blamed for the deaths of at least five people, including two children, CBS News reported.