WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina officials stressed Thursday now is the time to finalize preparations as Ian heads toward the Palmetto State, forecast to make landfall Friday afternoon around Charleston as a Category 1 hurricane.
Ian was downgraded early Thursday to a tropical storm after hitting parts of southwest Florida.
But it regained strength to a hurricane later Thursday as it nears South Carolina with life-threatening flooding, storm surge and strong winds, the National Hurricane Center tweeted.
John Quagliariello, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said Thursday the forecast is becoming “more concerning” as Ian heads toward South Carolina.
Quagliariello said Ian is expected to make landfall Friday along the central and northern portion of the South Carolina coast, then shift northward into the state through Friday night. South Carolinians will start to see conditions change Thursday night into Friday morning, with the worst conditions occurring throughout Friday, Quagliariello said.
The National Weather Service says there could be severe weather as the storm passes over the Midlands Friday and Saturday, with strong winds of 50 to 60 mph and flooding. The Columbia area could get between 2 to 6 inches of rain, the weather service said.
“This could be the first hurricane to make landfall in South Carolina since (Hurricane) Matthew in 2016,” Quagliariello said.
On Thursday, a hurricane warning was issued for the entire South Carolina coast.
Gov. Henry McMaster, who issued a statewide state of emergency Wednesday, said again that he is not ordering evacuations, road closures or that government buildings and schools close, leaving those decisions to local officials.
Several school districts have decided to close Friday, while others have chosen to hold classes virtually. The University of South Carolina also announced the Columbia campus will be closed Friday, including the cancellation of virtual classes.
Because of the governor’s order, several agencies have deployed resources to the state’s coast, including the South Carolina Department of Transportation.
Transportation Secretary Christy Hall said Thursday DOT has sent 100 additional people down to the coast to respond to the storm’s aftermath, including to help with road clearance and signal restoration work.
Kim Stenson, director of the state’s Emergency Management Division, said in a statement early Thursday that while South Carolina will not get the brunt of the storm as Florida did, there will be high winds, rain, flash flooding and possibly tornadoes.
Later Thursday, Stenson stressed the hurricane will not only be a coastal event.
“We expect the storm to impact all of South Carolina over the next several days,” he said.
It’s recommended anyone living in low-lying areas prone to flooding move to higher ground.
Shelter locations, if open, can be found on the Emergency Management Division website.
And state officials reiterated no one should walk or drive through standing water, and to move objects and pets indoors.
“We know this is going to be a serious storm. ... We know we can handle this if we use our heads and follow the rules,” McMaster said Thursday. “Don’t be a statistic.”
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