Tracking Ian: How it will impact the Carolinas, and when

Table Of Content

• Some Florida cities are suspending municipal services in preparation for the storm
• Our daily news update, sent to you Monday-Friday
• Disney World says it plans to resume normal operations on Friday
• Lee County sheriff says the hurricane took lives, but it's not yet clear how many
• Study first to use LiDAR, aerial imagery to remotely assess structural damage and beach structural changes

Hurricane Ian, one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the U.S., made landfall on Florida's Gulf coast on Wednesday afternoon. Ian's 150-mph winds and heavy rains knocked out power for 2.6 million residents as it continued to batter its way across the Sunshine State. Ian is expected to begin affecting North Carolina as soon as Thursday evening. Residents in North Carolina can experience potential impacts such as significant rainfall statewide, gusty winds, flash flooding and storm surge in coastal counties, according to state officials.

Some Florida cities are suspending municipal services in preparation for the storm

As of this morning, about 3,400 nursing home residents were evacuated across 44 facilities on the state’s west coast. “Over the next day, it will be vital for everyone to be prepared to act if told to do so by your local public safety officials," Stenson said. Pratt is a student at the University of Central Florida and had come home to ride out the storm with his parents after his classes were cancelled. While his family home suffered some damage, they were able to stay safe and sheltered. A day after creating historic flooding in Florida and leaving much of the state without power, Ian is out over the Atlantic and heading toward South Carolina, where it is expected to make its second U.S. landfall on Friday.

Our daily news update, sent to you Monday-Friday

Lee County said it would connect 911 callers with medical staff if high winds prevented first responders from attending to the emergency in person. Hurricane Ian still has sustained winds of 155 mph – which is a category four "major hurricane." Cape Coral, on Florida’s southwestern coast, suspended emergency services and closed city offices, while Lee County canceled school.

Hurricane Ian's track across land in Florida, path of destruction - USA TODAY

Hurricane Ian's track across land in Florida, path of destruction.

Posted: Mon, 09 Jan 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Disney World says it plans to resume normal operations on Friday

A hurricane warning was issued for the South Carolina coast and extended to Cape Fear on the southeastern coast of North Carolina. With tropical-storm force winds reaching about 415 miles (665 kilometers) from its center, Ian was forecast to shove storm surge of 5 feet (1.5 meters) into coastal areas in Georgia and the Carolinas. Rainfall of up to 8 inches (20 centimeters) threatened flooding from South Carolina to Virginia.

Even areas not in immediate danger from Hurricane Ian were preparing for the possible impacts of the storm. After the storm passes you'll probably want to haul out your portable generator, if you have one. Here are some of the resources you can use to stay informed as the storm progresses. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a briefing early Wednesday afternoon that "not every power outage will be created equal across the state in the next few days."

Study first to use LiDAR, aerial imagery to remotely assess structural damage and beach structural changes

Florida is expected to receive 10 to 20 inches of rain for this event, along with six to nine feet of storm surge, and wind gusts over 100 mph. Ian is now projecting tropical storm-force winds up to 415 miles from its center. The storm currently has maximum sustained winds of 65 mph, with gusts as high as 70 mph. It’s heading northeast at only 8 mph, a slow pace that heightens the risk of flood-inducing rainfall. “If you haven’t yet made plans for every contingency, this afternoon is the time to do so,” McMaster said in a news release.

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Hurricane Ian has dropped down to Category 2 as it moves over the Florida peninsula, but forecasters are warning that the massive storm will likely dump heavy rain on inland communities, causing widespread flooding. Jacksonville International Airport has canceled all its flights for Thursday and closed its terminal. The airport had remained open as Hurricane Ian approached and had said it would try to stay open. City water service has been restored, but for the next three days residents should still continue to boil water before consuming it, the city said. Officials in North Port, Florida, issued a citywide curfew for residents Thursday night amid flooding from Hurricane Ian.

Hurricane Ian impacts air travel in the Carolinas: What to know - Greenville News

Hurricane Ian impacts air travel in the Carolinas: What to know.

Posted: Fri, 30 Sep 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Procession to Catawba County honors fallen corrections officer

Two coastal counties that were hit the hardest — Lee County and Charlotte County — are “basically off the grid at this point,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a news conference. A coastal sheriff’s office reported that it was getting many calls from people trapped in flooded homes. Desperate people posted to Facebook and other social sites, pleading for rescue for themselves or loved ones. North Carolina is preparing for heavy rainfall and possible flooding on Friday and Saturday from the remnants of Ian.

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According to the statement, residents should seek refuge in an interior room in the home, putting as many walls between them and the outdoors. People should stay away from windows and skylights, and beware of calm conditions when the eye of the storm passes over. O’Connor also said the city is enhancing penalties for those charged with property crimes during the storm, pointing to two people arrested Tuesday night outside an IKEA furniture store. The strongest hurricane by recorded wind speed was the Labor Day storm of 1935, which registered 185 mph at landfall, according to Klotzbach's data.

At one point during the storm, they found a man standing in the pelting rain, holding bags of his belongings. When he ran for president in 2016, Jeb Bush, a two-term governor, frequently highlighted Florida’s hurricane preparedness and rebuilding efforts under his leadership. Mr. DeSantis’s immediate predecessor, Rick Scott, burnished a somewhat awkward public persona while shepherding Florida through a series of hurricanes during his tenure. On Wednesday morning, the president made a point to announce that he had been in touch with Mr. DeSantis. At a briefing early Wednesday evening, Mr. DeSantis noted that he had spoken with the president the day before.

The National Hurricane Center is imploring people to go inside and stay there. Some city officials said they believed that as many as half of the city’s 205,000 residents may have decided to stay in their homes, despite mandatory evacuation orders for much of the city that had been issued on Tuesday. The brunt of the storm was initially expected to hit farther north, in Tampa. Some areas of Fort Myers are under three to four feet of water, and the city is responding to fires, extensive flooding and life-threatening conditions, the city said in a Facebook post Wednesday night. People posted pleas on Facebook throughout the night, seeking help rescuing loved ones across the city.

But tropical hurricanes and storms affecting Florida between June and November are not covered because the company considers them foreseeable. Throughout Florida, many airports have closed and some hotels have begun preparing to accept evacuees instead of tourists. As of Wednesday afternoon, Hurricane Ian had already contributed to the cancellation of more than 4,000 flights, most within Florida, according to Kathleen Bangs, a spokeswoman for FlightAware, a flight-tracking company. “The biggest stunt was Biden coming in as president and reversing Trump’s policies,” Mr. DeSantis told reporters in Florida days later. He also suggested that the next plane of immigrants might land in Delaware, near the president’s weekend home.

The State Emergency Response Team will activate Thursday at the State Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh and plans to move to 24-hour operations on Friday morning. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency in anticipation of Ian moving north into the state. The price gouging law is in effect, Attorney General Josh Stein announced Wednesday after Gov. Cooper issued a state of emergency.

That is the total number of Florida households that are without any power as of early Wednesday morning according according to PowerOutage.us. National Guard troops were being positioned in South Carolina to help with the aftermath, including any water rescues. On Thursday afternoon, a steady stream of vehicles left Charleston, a 350-year-old city. The hurricane is predicted to move across Florida to the Atlantic Ocean, where it's expected to regain strength over water and begin to approach the South Carolina coast Thursday. Gov. Ron DeSantis called the storm a "500-year flooding event." President Joe Biden declared a major disaster in Florida on Thursday.

The storm is expected to make landfall near Port Charlotte on Wednesday afternoon. Ian struck Florida with 150 mph (241 kph) winds that tied it for the fifth-strongest hurricane ever to hit the U.S. Emergency crews sawed through toppled trees to reach stranded people.