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Hyde County has issued a state of emergency that went into effect at noon today.

Tropical Storm Debby will move slowly along or just offshore of the South Carolina coast today through late Thursday, before lifting north through central North Carolina Friday. The biggest impact will be life-threatening flash flooding due to several days of heavy rainfall, starting this afternoon and lasting through Friday. A core of high winds is expected near and to the east of the final storm track. Higher winds are also expected near the coast, with the strongest winds expected Thursday into Friday.

Storm prediction’s key points:

• Considerable uncertainty in the forecast track still remains as upper-level steering continues to be weak for the next few days.

• Flash Flooding will be the primary threat with multiple days of heavy rainfall expected. A Flash Flood Watch is in effect through Friday.

• Current rainfall forecast is for an additional 4 to 10 inches with local amounts up to 15 inches of rain across Eastern NC over the next 5 days.

• The threat of River Flooding will increase late into the following week, but it is too early to determine exact impacts at this time.

• Rip Current threats on Hyde County beaches are extreme throughout the week. You should not enter the ocean during this event.

Citizens and visitors should begin preparations now to protect property that is susceptible to wind and flooding. Residents and visitors should use caution when visiting Hyde County beaches and stay out of the ocean! Travel conditions can deteriorate quickly in flood-prone areas. Use extreme caution if you must travel.

Hyde County Emergency Services will continue to monitor the forecast and issue advisories as appropriate. For the most current and official information please visit the National Hurricane Center website at https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/and tune in to your local news.

You can also get the latest NWS Morehead City Tropical Briefing by going to http://weather.gov/media/mhx/LatestBriefing.pdf