Ian will likely hit South Carolina as a hurricane, forecasters say : NPR
National Hurricane Center
Ian is exiting Florida as a tropical storm – but as it moves back over the water, it will likely regain hurricane status, drawing strength from the Atlantic. Forecasters are warning of a dangerous storm surge and other impacts, from Florida to North Carolina.
“Ian is forecast to become a hurricane again tonight and make landfall as a hurricane on Friday,” the National Hurricane Center said. speak.
A hurricane warning – which means hurricane conditions are likely to occur in the area in the near future – is currently in effect for the entire coast of South Carolina.
“If you still haven’t planned for every contingencies, this afternoon is the time to do so,” said Governor Henry McMaster. say on Thursday.
New round of Atlantic Coast warnings in place as residents and emergency crews west of peninsular Florida suffer great losses made by the high tides and high winds of Ian.
“Large, life-threatening flash floods and urban flooding, with record-breaking flooding along rivers, will continue across central Florida,” the hurricane center said.
Ian’s wind is almost as strong as a hurricane
Alex Brandon / AP
As of 11 a.m. ET, Tropical Cyclone Ian’s center was approximately 25 miles northeast of Cape Canaveral, Fla. It currently has maximum sustained winds of 70 mph, with recently measured winds of 74 mph – the threshold for hurricane strength.
Ian is currently forecasting the tropical storm’s strong winds up to 415 miles from its center. Current forecast predicted it would make landfall in South Carolina as a Category 1 hurricane.
But as in west Florida, water is the main threat: Ian will bring a high tide, and it’s heading northeast at just 9 mph, a slow pace that increases the risk. flood rain.
The storm is very large, the risk of occurring on a large area. A long stretch of coastline is being warned of life-threatening high tides, from the Palm Coast, Fla., through the entire coastline of Georgia and South Carolina.
Forecast tracking predicts Ian will move inland via SC
NOAA / NESDIS / STAR
Present forecast tracking saw Ian move northeast over the ocean as it passed Jacksonville, before turning more northwest and making landfall between Savannah, Ga. and Charleston.
The NHC said tropical storm winds will begin to affect Georgia and South Carolina on Thursday. According to the report of National Weather Service Office in Charleston. Some areas could see a storm rising 4-7 feet above the ground, it said.
SC Emergency Management Director Kim Stenson said: “While we won’t see the full strength of Hurricane Ian the way Florida did, we could see high winds, rain, flash flooding and even tornadoes.”
“First coastal flood” is expected to hit South Carolina with high tide Thursday afternoon, NWS office in Charleston report. It warned additional flooding is likely to continue through Friday.
The office said many areas along the coast could also expect up to 8 inches of rain.