CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC/AP) - Hurricane Ian officially made landfall Friday afternoon just south of Georgetown as a Category 1 storm, the National Hurricane Center said.
A hurricane warning that extends across the entire South Carolina coastline from the Savannah River to Little River Inlet was issued on Thursday.
A hurricane watch remains in effect for portions of the Lowcountry in addition to tropical storm warnings and watches already in effect.
The hurricane watch covers the South Carolina coast from the Charleston-Georgetown County line south to the South Carolina-Georgia line. The same area, which includes Charleston, coastal Coastal Colleton, Beaufort and coastal Jasper Counties, is also under a Storm Surge Warning.
Charleston, Berkeley, Beaufort, Coastal Colleton and Jasper Counties are now under a tropical storm warning, meaning tropical storm-force winds are expected within 36 hours. Dorchester and inland Colleton Counties were placed under a tropical storm watch Tuesday night as well.
A storm surge watch is also in effect for Charleston, coastal Colleton and Beaufort Counties.
A tropical storm watch is issued when a tropical cyclone containing winds of 39 to 73 mph or higher poses a possible threat, generally within 48 hours. These winds may be accompanied by storm surge, coastal flooding, and/or river flooding. The watch does not mean that tropical storm conditions will occur. It only means that these conditions are possible.
The National Hurricane Center says a storm surge watch is defined as the possibility of life-threatening inundation from rising water moving inland from the shoreline somewhere within the specified area, generally within 48 hours, in association with a tropical, subtropical, or post-tropical cyclone.
Preliminary forecasts show that two to four feet of peak storm surge is possible Thursday or Friday.
Ian regained its hurricane status Thursday afternoon
At 11 a.m., the center of Tropical Storm Ian was located near latitude 32.4 North, longitude 79 West, which is about 60 miles away from the coast of Charleston.
Ian is moving toward the north near 14 mph. Ian is forecast to move more quickly toward the north Friday followed by a turn toward the north-northwest by Friday night.
On the forecast track, Ian will approach the coast of South Carolina on Friday. The center will move farther inland across eastern South Carolina and central North Carolina Friday night and Saturday.
Maximum sustained winds remain near 85 mph with higher gusts. Ian is expected to rapid weakening after landfall.
Ian is forecast to become an extratropical low over North Carolina Friday night or on Saturday. The low is then expected to dissipate by Saturday night.
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