Remnants of Debby expected to swipe Tri-State Area. Timeline shows when to expect rain, winds and storms

NEW YORK – Remnants of Debby will swipe the Tri-State Area Friday, following a stretch of cloudy and damp days.

The CBS News New York First Alert Weather team has issued a Red Alert.

We are not in the direct path or seeing the worst this time, but we are under the threat for damaging winds and scattered downpours. We are also in the unfortunate quadrant of the storm that could spin up a tornado. The risk is low – 2-5% – but it's a possibility in our western suburbs. 

The flooding rain threat is much lower than previous outlooks. We are not anticipating a repeat of Tuesday's floating cars. The wind and severe threat looks to be the biggest headline. We could absolutely see some flooding, but the best bet is well north and west of New York City. Track shifts could change this, however.

Even though Debby is tracking well inland, the seas will start to rise Friday afternoon. We have a High Surf Advisory and High Rip Current Risk for all of our coastlines. Seas are forecast to build with wave heights crashing on shore anywhere from 5-11 feet.

Timeline of when Debby remnants will impact New York, New Jersey

7 a.m. - 2 p.m. Friday: Fairly tame up to this point. Some showers and clouds are expected. A few isolated downpours are possible but well west in areas like Warren, Sussex, Hunterdon and Sullivan counties.

2-6 p.m. Friday: The skinny line progresses closer to the metro area, crossing New Jersey, with heavier rain likely in the Hudson Valley. Winds start to really pick up as Debby accelerates into New England.

6-11 p.m. Friday: The elongated front should pass the spine of our area during this time frame. Gusty winds and severe thunderstorms are on the table.

11 p.m. Friday - 4 a.m. Saturday: The line crosses Long Island and should clear pre-dawn. Gusty winds and severe storm risk.

4-8 a.m. Saturday: Skies clear and sunshine returns. The oceans should still be angry.

The rest of the weekend looks great with sunny skies and temperatures in the 80s.

Preparations underway across New York for Friday's heavy rainfall, potential flooding

Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state is ready for another round of wet weather, with 100 National Guard activated and ready to be deployed where necessary.

The New York City Emergency Management Department has issued a travel advisory for Friday, urging New Yorkers to be especially cautious during the afternoon and evening commutes.

"As Tropical Storm Debby accelerates to the west of us and threatens the area with heavy rain and potential flash flooding, we are once again mobilizing all resources to ensure the safety and well-being of every New Yorker," Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol said in a statement.

Emergency management also warns that areas in the Bronx, northern Manhattan and northern Queens may be the most vulnerable to flooding since the ground is already heavily saturated from rain earlier this week.

The city Department of Environmental Protection handed out free flood prevention kits Thursday. They included inflatable flood walls, sump pumps and other hardware store staples.

The DEP said it's working on long-term projects to improve the sewage system, build rain gardens and fortify the city against intensifying rainfall, but those resiliency projects will take at least five years to complete.

"The climate is changing faster than we can build infrastructure, which is why this is an all-hands-on-deck moment," said city DEP commissioner Rohit Aggarwala.

The MTA is also preparing for potential weather-related issues, such as flooding and downed trees on tracks. Thursday, they cleared track drains and checked its subway water pumps at the South Ferry station in Lower Manhattan.

"I feel confident that we've inspected our equipment. We inspected our track trains. We inspected our known flood areas, so we should have a smooth transition into the storm with no issues," said MTA chief infrastructure officer Armando Crespo.

Up in Westchester County, crews raced the rain to repair a sinkhole in Port Chester that formed when Tuesday's downpour undermined the ground soil and caused the road to buckle.

Over in New Jersey, workers cut away at downed trees uprooted from ground still saturated after Tuesday's storm.