MIAMI — Tropical Storm Ian is causing “catastrophic flooding” over east-central Florida Thursday morning as it treks closer to the Atlantic, forecasters said. Once it’s in the Atlantic, Ian is forecast to near hurricane strength before approaching South Carolina.
And while Ian is much weaker than when it hit Florida’s southwest coast as a devastating Category 4 hurricane Wednesday afternoon, it remains a large storm, with tropical storm-force winds extending up to 415 miles from the center.
The National Hurricane Center in an update at 8 a.m. Thursday said the storm is continuing to batter parts of the state — and will eventually affect Georgia and the Carolinas — with strong winds, heavy rain and storm surge. Nearly all of the storm’s heavy rains are to the north over northeastern Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center.
