The governors of both Carolina states declared states of emergency Wednesday as Hurricane Ian continues north.

The storm is forecasted to cross Florida through Thursday and head into the Atlantic before again making landfall along the coast of South Carolina sometime this weekend, however likely in a weakened state.

South Carolina governor Henry McMaster said no evacuations had been ordered and the declaration was more of a precaution so that distribution channels wouldn’t be slowed.

Hurricane Ian cone of uncertainty as of 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022.

“We do know we’ll see a lot of rain and significant storm surge on our coastline over the coming days,” McMaster said. “Now is the time for each South Carolinian to make plans for every contingency and be prepared.”

In North Carolina, governor Roy Cooper warned of severe weather.

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“The most serious concern that we have is flooding, particularly the more west it moves,” Cooper told WRAL News. “We know the potential for landslides in the mountains, and we know from Tropical Storm Fred the devastation it can cause.”

“It’s also going to be important for us to move equipment around the state as the storm gets closer, and we will feel some impacts from a storm,” Cooper said. “We want to make sure that all of the equipment, vehicles and teams are positioned in the right place.”

The governor also activated 80 members of the National Guard for potential relief efforts.

This satellite image taken at 3:06 p.m. EDT and provided by NOAA shows Hurricane Ian making landfall in southwest Florida near Cayo Costa, Fla., on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, as a catastrophic Category 4 storm.

The decisions follow similar declarations made by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has also offered resources and support to Florida.

Flash flooding and torrential downpours are possible in both states and residents are advised to have flashlights, batteries and water.

Ian made landfall on Florida’s gulf coast on Wednesday approaching Category 5 strength, bringing winds of nearly 150 mph and possible life-threatening storm surges, flooding and power outages.



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