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A reenergized Hurricane Ian barreled toward South Carolina early Friday after it ripped across Florida, killing at least 16 people and trapping thousands more inside their homes.
Ian strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane as it swirled over the Atlantic, leaving behind the Sunshine State, where residents have only just begun to contend with the massive damage and flooding brought on by the mega storm. With its sights now set on South Carolina, Hurricane Ian is expected to make landfall in the United States for the second time around midday Friday.
The latest track shows the storm arriving between Charleston and Myrtle Beach, then moving north.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster urged residents to consider their safety and heed the warnings issued ahead of the storm’s arrival.
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“We know what’s coming,” McMaster said during a news conference.
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“There’s a little bit of wiggle room in exactly how strong the rains and how strong the wind will be, but the biggest variable is human reaction. It’s people failing to take the necessary precautions. That’s the real danger that we have, is human error.”
With windspeeds of 85 mph, Ian was crawling toward South Carolina early Friday at a speed of just 9 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. As of 8 a.m., the storm was located 105 southeast of Charleston and 185 southwest of Cape Fear in North Carolina.
Hurricane and storm surge warnings have been issued for the South Carolina coast. Forecasters warned of a storm surge of several feet and flooding in low areas along the coast. Much of the Carolinas and Virginia are also slated to get drenched for rain brought on by the storm.
Once a devastating Category 4 Hurricane, Ian roared ashore in Florida Wednesday afternoon with windspeeds topping 150 mph. It flooded homes along the coastline, cut off the only road access to a barrier island, destroyed a historic waterfront pier and knocked out electricity to 2.6 million Florida homes and businesses.
An estimated 2.1 million remained without power.
On Friday, some rescue crews waded through flooded streets while others searched by sky for those still trapped inside their homes. At least 700 rescues have been carried out so far by the U.S. Coast Guard, the National Guard and urban search-and-rescue teams.
With News Wire Services
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