Hurricane Ian set to make landfall in South Carolina
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — After collapsing buildings and pounding Florida with strong winds and relentless rain, Hurricane Ian is expected to make landfall in South Carolina on Friday, bringing life-threatening storm surge and hurricane conditions to the coast, the National Hurricane Center said.
The center said major to record river flooding will continue across Central Florida through next week.
Considerable flooding will be possible in coastal and northeast South Carolina, and across portions of North Carolina and southwest Virginia on Friday, the NHC said in its latest advisory.
At 5 a.m. Friday, the storm was about 145 miles south-southeast of Charleston, packing maximum sustained winds of 85 mph. It was moving north-northeast at 9 mph, with hurricane-force winds extending outward up to 70 miles from the storm's center and tropical-storm-force winds extending outward up to 485
miles.
The eye of the storm is expected to reach the coast Friday, then move farther inland across portions of South Carolina and North Carolina on Friday night and Saturday, the NHC said.
It's expected to weaken into am extratropical low in North Carolina Friday or Saturday and dissipate over the weekend.
The NHC said swells from the storm were still affecting the east coast of Florida, the Carolinas, and the
northwestern Bahamas, and could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
Parts of South Carolina remain under a storm surge warning, meaning the storm could raise water levels above normal tides.
Here is a list of watches and warnings that are in effect as of 5 a.m. ET Friday.
A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for:
- Flagler/Volusia County Line Florida to Cape Fear North Carolina
- Neuse River North Carolina
- St. Johns River Florida
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for:
- Savannah River to Cape Fear North Carolina
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for:
- Altamaha Sound Georgia to Savannah River
- Cape Fear to Duck North Carolina
- Pamlico Sound
A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for:
- North of Cape Fear to Duck North Carolina
- Pamlico River
- Cape Fear River
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for:
- East of Cape Fear to Surf City North Carolina
Tracking Hurricane Ian
>> Latest updates on Hurricane Ian