By Rich McKay and Tyler Clifford
ATLANTA (Reuters) -Tropical Storm Debby inundated coastal Georgia and South Carolina with a deluge of rain on Tuesday that could bring "catastrophic flooding" to Charleston, Savannah and other cities in the southeastern United States, the National Hurricane Center said.
At least six people have died in Florida and Georgia in the wake of the storm, which is expected to linger over the southeastern and mid-Atlantic coasts for days.
"Debby is expected to produce potentially historic rainfall
totals of 10 to 20 inches (25 cm and 51 cm), with maximum amounts of 25 inches (63.5 cm), bringing areas of catastrophic flooding across portions of the eastern half of South Carolina, and southeast North Carolina through Friday," the NHC said.
The governors of those states have declared states of emergency.
The storm featured 40-mile-per-hour (64 kph) winds as it chugged along slowly at 5 mph (8 kph) to the northeast, with its center located about 50 miles (80 km) east of Savannah, Georgia, on Tuesday night. Heavy rainfall could cause flooding in parts of the mid-Atlantic through Sunday, the Miami-based center said.
More than 8 inches (20 cm) of rain have already fallen on Savannah and Valdosta, Georgia, the National Weather Service said. Charleston and Hilton Head, South Carolina, have received between 10 and 12 inches (25 and 30 cm) of rain so far, the weather service said, with more on the way.
In Savannah, rain was coming down hard outside the landmark Bellwether House, a 16-room bed-and-breakfast in the city's historic district, but general manager Victoria Hill was not too concerned.
"This place was built in 1876," she said. "It's built rock-solid, and you can imagine how many storms have hit over the last century."
Hill said many tourists had canceled their reservations because of the storm, but a handful of guests were staying on.
"We here, we're open and we're holding up. We'll all ride this out together."
Charleston Mayor William Cogswell said more than 2 feet (61 cm) of rain was expected in his city before the storm passes. Even at low tide, storm surges of between 4 and 6 feet (1.2 and 1.8 meters) will prevent floodwaters from draining into the sea, he said.
There are "not enough pumps in the world" to handle that much rain, Cogswell said late on Monday. He has since extended a citywide curfew until Wednesday morning.
"Nobody should be out on the streets in these conditions unless it is an absolute emergency," the mayor said.
About 50 miles (80 km) west of Charleston, fears of a breach at the McGrady Dam in Colleton County, part of the state's Lowcountry, prompted the county sheriff's office to warn residents to evacuate immediately on Tuesday.
Debby made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane in the Big Bend region of Florida's Gulf Coast on Monday morning, dumping 8 to 16 inches (20 to 41 cm) of rain in parts of central Florida, according to local reports. The storm has been blamed for five deaths in Florida and one near Valdosta, Georgia.
Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said the city could expect a "once-in-a-thousand-year" rain event.
"This will literally create islands in the city," Johnson said.
Cedrick King, a businessman from coastal Brunswick (NYSE:BC), Georgia, said he and his family had packed up their belongings on Tuesday and were ready to make the five-hour drive to Atlanta.
"We're headed north, far away from this storm," he said.