(Associated Press) Strong winds are blowing early Friday morning in Charleston, with powerful gusts bending tree branches and sending sprays of the steadily falling rain sideways as Hurricane Ian approaches.
Streets are largely empty, an ordinarily packed morning commute silenced by the advancing storm. Flash flood warnings are posted, with up to 8 inches of rain forecast for the Charleston area, and high tide expected just before noon Friday, a circumstance that often floods the downtown peninsula on its own with even moderate rainfall.
The NWS is expecting Ian, now a Cat 1 hurricane, to come ashore near Georgetown between Charleston and Myrtle Beach Friday . A worst-case scenario storm surge of 4 to 7 feet is possible with 4 to 8 inches of rain forecasted in the Charleston area today into Saturday due to Ian.
Winds are gusting to 40mph now in Charleston where streets are already begining to be flooded. Residents on nearby IOP reporting water and debris on road ways as well as minor beach erosion.
The eye of the storm is expected to pass east of Columbia around 8PM Friday bringing with it tropical storm force winds and heavy rain.