Debby dumps more than a foot of rain in Georgia, causing dams to fail and extensive flooding

STATESBORO, Ga. - Tropical Storm Debby may be moving away from the Georgia coast; however, the rain left behind is causing severe flooding, and the threat of a dam near Statesboro failing soon is a growing concern.

Homes in Bulloch County are underwater, with lakes and creeks overflowing their banks. More properties are under threat as officials warn of a potential dam failure. 

The normal creaks of the floorboards have been replaced with splashing sounds as one walks through Madelyn Ritchie’s house. The view outside of her family’s vacation rental offers more of the same. She never imagined her lakefront property would ever be in the middle of it. 

"Really, the only word that comes to mind is crazy, shocking. I mean, I'm just... I mean... I've never seen anything like this in my whole life," she told FOX 5’s Tyler Fingert on Wednesday as the storm continued to slowly trek away. Bands of rain from Debby have exacerbated the already dire problem. 

More than a dozen homes were left flooded, according to Bulloch County officials. The storm dumped more than a foot of rain in the area and the runoff has pooled into low-lying areas, causing the flooding.  

According to Ritchie’s father, Bubba Hunt, although it frequently rains there, the rainfall this time was different. 

"It's unbelievable the amount of water that has come up on this property, even though it sits right on the water.  We've never had an issue with any type of flooding in the past, but unfortunately, today it's obvious," he said. 

The water now has nowhere left to go. Every waterway has been filled beyond its capacity and now the force of that water is pushing up against anything trying to hold it back, including dams and roadways. 

Public safety officials say that both dams at Simmons Pond, off Interstate 16, were already breached. A little over 25 miles northwest of there, a dam at Oglesby Pond also failed. Emergency officials spent Wednesday warning residents downstream, and the Bulloch County Fire Department reported they have rescued several people in the Rocky Ford area overnight.  

In between those two ponds is Cypress Lake, which is now full. The dam there is also threatening to fail, prompting a Flash Flood Warning for nearby communities. The sheriff’s office says the dam is now in imminent danger of being breached by the flood water, putting nearby communities in danger. 

"All the Bulloch County sheriff's deputies and have said that they've never seen anything like this, and we haven't seen anything like this before. And I've lived here for 33 years," Hunt said. 

Richie is worried that as the floodwaters rise, all the hard work her family put into the property will be washed away. 

"To see this and know... you know...we spent a lot of time putting this together and creating a fun vacation home for people to be able to utilize. It's a little shocking," she said.  

Officials are urging residents in flash flood-warned areas to seek safety immediately, as the situation is life-threatening and likely to worsen. One homeowner said an emergency official told them the water would continue to rise until at very least Friday.