TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — After collapsing buildings and pounding Florida with strong winds and relentless rain, Hurricane Ian has made landfall in South Carolina, potentially bringing life-threatening storm surge and hurricane conditions to the area, the National Hurricane Center said. The center said major to record river flooding will continue across Central Florida through next week.
The National Hurricane Center tweeted Saturday that the center of the hurricane made landfall on Friday at 2:05 p.m. near Georgetown, South Carolina with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph.
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 2 p.m. Friday, the storm was about 55 miles east-southeast of Charleston, packing maximum sustained winds of 90 mph. It was moving north at 15 mph.
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 11 a.m. ET Friday.
A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for:
- Savannah River 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
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