The tropical storm that’s battered parts of South Carolina and the Gulf Coast of Florida is expected to mix with a low-pressure system as it moves north, with heavy rain expected in eastern Ontario and western Quebec starting Thursday night.
Environment Canada has issued rainfall warnings for almost all of the region, with a special weather statement about the rain covering the rest.
There are three different warnings associated with what’s left of tropical storm Debby as of Thursday:
- Areas north, east and just west of Gatineau (not as far as Shawville for example) should get 50 to 80 millimetres of rain Friday and early Saturday and could hit 100 millimetres.
- Areas west of that warning should get nearly 50 millimetres.
- Gatineau and most of eastern Ontario, including Ottawa and Kingston and places immediately west of them, should get 50 to 75 millimetres of rain Thursday night and Friday.
The special statement starts at a rough line of communities west of that last warning including Cobden, Denbigh, Tweed and Deseronto, calling for heavy rain Thursday evening into Friday. The highest threshold forecast is more than 50 millimetres.
Flash flooding and water pooling on the road are possible, especially in low-lying areas. Environment Canada also says there’s a risk of thunderstorms in the mix Thursday night and Friday.
No local conservation areas have issued flood watches or warnings.
Ottawa’s Aug. 9 rainfall record is 41.4 millimetres in 1959, while the August daily record is 71.1 millimetres Aug. 11, 1887.
Friday’s high is forecasted to be 24 C in Ottawa, with humidity making it feel more like 32 at its peak. The overnight low should be around 17 C and Saturday is looking like a sunny day in the mid-20s.
Similar storm last month
Debby first made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane early Monday in Florida.
Since then the storm has been downgraded but — as of Thursday — still had maximum sustained winds of 80 km/h as it barrels forward on its northeastern path through South Carolina.
At least six people have died in Florida and Georgia in the wake of the storm.
The remnants of Hurricane Beryl also hit the Ottawa-Gatineau region about a month ago.