Tropical Storm Debbie: UAE urges citizens in US to exercise caution
The storm has been wringing heavy rain across the southern US this week
Dubai: The UAE Consulate in New York has issued an advisory to Emirati residents in New York City and New Jersey due to strong winds, heavy rains, and flooding caused by Tropical Storm Debbie.
The consulate has urged Emirati citizens to follow the safety instructions issued by the authorities and to contact the embassy in case of an emergency.
In an emergency, UAE citizens can reach the authorities at 0097180024 or 0097180044444.
The consulate also encourages UAE nationals to register with the "Twajudi" service for consular support.
Tropical Storm Debbie was downgraded to a tropical depression on Thursday after causing at least seven deaths across the US Southeast this week. The storm is now moving northward toward Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York, where it may trigger tornadoes and further flash flooding in already saturated areas.
The storm has been wringing heavy rain across the southern US this week and is now threatening floods as far north as Upstate New York.
The storm is now moving northward toward Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York, where it may trigger tornadoes and further flash flooding in already saturated areas.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), while Debbie is expected to weaken through Sunday, heavy rainfall and flooding will persist as the storm continues to accelerate northeast.
Debbie made landfall for a second time this week near Bulls Bay, South Carolina, after initially striking Florida’s Gulf Coast as a Category 1 hurricane, then crossing northern Florida and Georgia to the Atlantic Coast.
Flooding has closed roads across the Carolinas as more than 12 inches (30.5 centimeters) of rain has fallen across a wide area and many rivers are rising to major flood stage, the National Weather Service said.
More than 112,000 customers are without power across the southeast with most of them in North Carolina, according to Poweroutage.
Further north, flood watches extend from North Carolina to New York's Canadian border, the weather service said. Rainfall warnings have also been posted in Quebec, including Montreal, by Environment and Climate Change Canada.