Ian weakened to a post-tropical storm around 5 p.m. Friday, the National Hurricane Center said, hours after making landfall in South Carolina as a Category 1 hurricane. However, storm surge watches and warnings were still in effect for portions of North Carolina.
The hurricane center said Ian made landfall near Georgetown, South Carolina, just after 2 p.m. Friday, with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph. Forecasters predicted the storm would “rapidly weaken” as it moved inland across the Carolinas Friday night and Saturday.
In Florida, the scope of devastation from the storm was starting to become clear, as rescue missions continued and power and water outages persisted. New images on Friday showed extensive wreckage and disastrous flooding.
State emergency officials announced 21 deaths as of Friday morning, however they’re not sure if all are directly related to the storm. Additionally, in Volusia County, the sheriff’s department has confirmed two storm-related deaths there. As crews continue to conduct searches, the death toll could rise as officials learn more about the losses from Ian.
