Isle of Wight, Surry under tornado, flood watches as Debby heads north

Published 1:21 pm Thursday, August 8, 2024

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for Isle of Wight and Surry counties through 7 a.m. Friday, Aug. 9, as Tropical Storm Debby makes its way north.

Both counties are also under a flood watch through midnight, Aug. 9.

Debby was hovering at the North Carolina-South Carolina line as of 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 8, and is forecast to downgrade to a depression and move over central Virginia by 8 a.m. Friday, according to a static cone map by the National Hurricane Center. The NHC is predicting a 5% to 10% chance of tropical-storm-force winds (less than 39 mph) for most of Hampton Roads.

Subscribe to our free email newsletter

Get the latest news sent to your inbox

The National Weather Service’s Wakefield station anticipates a 60% chance of rainfall between a tenth and quarter inch, and southeast winds around 16 mph with gusts as high as 25 mph after 2 p.m. Showers and possibly a thunderstorm are in store for this evening, with southeast winds around 17 mph and gusts a s high as 28 mph possible. New rainfall is estimated at between a half and three-quarter inches.

Friday, showers and thunderstorms remain likely with a south wind 18 to 21 mph and gusts as high as 33 mph.

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 7:22 p.m. on Aug. 8.