Debby moved out of the U.S. on Saturday after wreaking havoc for nearly a week, unleashing tornadoes and flooding that damaged homes and claimed lives as it traversed the East Coast, first hitting Florida as a hurricane.
On its final day over the U.S., Debby heavily inundated south-central New York and north-central Pennsylvania, prompting evacuations and helicopter rescues. The post-tropical cyclone continued to drop rain across New England and southern Quebec, Canada, with conditions anticipated to improve by Saturday morning as the system progressed northeast.
One of the most severe flash flooding incidents in New York occurred on Friday in rural areas south of the Finger Lakes.
In Steuben County, officials ordered the evacuation of Jasper, Woodhull, and part of Addison due to impassable roads from floodwaters. By mid-evening, some evacuation orders were lifted as the immediate threat receded. Recovery efforts commenced Saturday morning, with emergency workers clearing debris and assisting residents in pumping water from flooded basements.
In Woodhull, a creek swollen with rain overflowed onto a bridge. Local resident Stephanie Waters described the experience, saying, “Hearing the trees hit the bridge was scary.”
Fire Chief Timothy Martin reported that while everyone in Woodhull was safe, “every business in Woodhull is damaged.”
John Anderson recounted witnessing floodwaters rapidly engulf vehicles in Canisteo and Andover, declaring, “It’s been very fierce,” as belongings were swept away by the raging waters.
In Canisteo, the Moss family faced heavy damage to their longstanding dairy farm. Their daughter, Stacey Urban, stated that a neighbor’s trailer was carried off into a field during the flooding, adding that the community’s catastrophic damage was “beyond heartbreaking.”
Residents like Ann Farkas shared their experiences, noting it was the first time in nearly five decades that her home had flooded. She expressed concern over potential coverage by her homeowner’s insurance, stating, “Like a lot of people, I don’t have flood insurance, so I doubt my homeowner’s is going to cover any of this.”
Steuben County Manager Jack Wheeler mentioned that the storm impacted areas previously affected by Tropical Storm Fred three years earlier, with swift water rescue teams retrieving individuals trapped in vehicles and homes.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro declared states of emergency as officials in Tioga County reported a search and rescue operation for one unaccounted individual in Knoxville due to extensive flooding that necessitated numerous rescues.
Fire Chief William Goltz of Crary Hose Co. in Westfield indicated that 30 to 50 water rescues were undertaken, including some firefighters who became trapped while attempting to assist others.
Approximately 100 individuals were displaced, leading to the opening of several shelters, although only 14 remained occupied by midday Saturday. Officials urged residents to document damage before initiating cleanup and to send in images of the flooding.
In Potter County, the storm caused significant damage to bridges and severely impacted Route 49, with Commissioner Bob Rossman indicating that the roadway would require costly repairs.
Over 150,000 households and businesses across New York and Pennsylvania lost power on Friday, with around 60,000 still without electricity Saturday morning. In Ohio, more than 113,000 customers faced outages after storms related to Debby, including tornadoes that struck the northeastern region on Wednesday.
By late Thursday afternoon, Debby had been downgraded to a tropical depression and was identified as a post-tropical cyclone by Friday. The storm made landfall early Monday as a Category 1 hurricane on Florida’s Gulf Coast, later emerging over the Atlantic and re-entering land in South Carolina.
At least nine fatalities related to Debby have been reported, primarily from vehicle accidents or fallen trees.
In Vermont, over 44,000 homes and businesses lost power Friday night, dropping to about 23,000 by late Saturday morning as officials noted widespread damage from wind gusts exceeding 60 mph, affecting areas already saturated from previous storms.
Governor Phil Scott had previously warned that the remnants of Debby could lead to further serious damage in regions already weakened by flash flooding, although a flood watch was canceled by Friday evening.
Business owners in affected areas took measures to safeguard their properties amid relentless rain, illustrating the resilience and ongoing challenges faced by communities in the wake of natural disasters.
