Ian intensifies back to a Category 1 hurricane; Beaufort Co. officials urge people to stay home
Two hours after Beaufort County officials spoke about their preparation for Tropical Storm Ian, the storm had intensified into a Category 1 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center on Thursday afternoon.
After hitting Florida on Wednesday as a Category 4 hurricane, Ian lost strength as it moved eastward across central Florida and into the Atlantic. It was deemed a tropical storm Thursday morning, but by 5 p.m. ET, the center announced Ian had strengthened back to hurricane status.
The latest projections by the National Weather Service are that Ian will make landfall Friday on South Carolina’s coast. As of 6 p.m. Thursday, Ian has sustained maximum winds of 75 mph, making it a Category 1 hurricane, and was moving 10 mph north-northeast.
Current projects say landfall could be halfway between Charleston and Georgetown, according to the National Hurricane Center. However, Meteorologist Ron Morales said there isn’t a “high level of confidence” in the Ian’s track. He said not to get too caught up on the exact location of potential landfall.
“It’s impossible to nail down the exact location and timing,” Morales said during an evening NWS news briefing. “I’ve learned over the years that I’ve been in this seat right now, at 5:30 and 6 p.m., 12 hours before landfall, and I’ve gotten it wrong every time, because ... something slightly changes.”
During the county’s Thursday afternoon press conference, Sheriff P.J. Tanner said Ian was expected to lash the Lowcountry with high winds and potential storm surges as high as 6 feet. The impact was best understood when he compared the anticipated impacts of Ian to past hurricanes that rattled the Lowcountry.
When Hurricane Matthew slammed Hilton Head Island with a wind gust over 80-mph in 2016, it was impossible to forget the damage caused, Tanner said. Ian, forecast to bring peak winds at 35-45 mph with gusts to 75 mph, could also whip up hurricane-force winds between 74-110 mph, according to a National Weather Service alert Thursday.
The 4-6 feet of storm surge expected in Beaufort County from Ian are equal to what the county battled during Hurricane Irma in 2017, Tanner noted. With the standing water from Irma’s wake, it wasn’t possible to drive some roads, officials said during the Thursday afternoon press conference. Tanner said it will likely be the same with Ian.
Ian is also expected to bring 3-4 inches of rain, less than what was anticipated earlier, according to the National Weather Service. All that to say, with heavy rain, fast winds and high storm surge combined and anticipated to inundate the area starting Thursday evening and throughout Friday, Tanner said it’s best to stay put.
“Refrain from driving on any roads Friday and Friday evening,” the sheriff said. “Reducing the amount of traffic throughout the county makes it easier for us to do our job and it’s safer for you.”
Bluffton Mayor Lisa Sulka reminded everyone that attempting to drive through floodwaters to cause wake causes major damage to homes and businesses.
Alongside skipping a Friday drive, Beaufort County officials urged residents not to wade into flood waters, as they can often be littered with trash, critters such as snakes and alligators, and other potentially health-harming bacteria and toxic substances.
On Thursday morning, the weather service issued a hurricane warning for all of South Carolina’s coast. By the afternoon, forecasters believed Ian, which was then a tropical storm, could make landfall somewhere near Charleston as a Category 1 hurricane Friday morning, according to the South Carolina Emergency Management Division.
Ian was 275 miles south of Charleston on Thursday afternoon, said John Quagliariello, meteorologist with National Weather Service’s Columbia office, during a press conference. If Ian makes landfall in South Carolina, it would be the first to do so since Hurricane Matthew.
Quagliariello noted Ian’s track is getting “more concerning” for the Palmetto State, adding that flooding from storm surge is of the greatest worry. Just 6 inches of water can make a person fall, especially if it’s moving water, said Kim Stenson, South Carolina Emergency Management Division director.
Tropical storm-force winds and heavy rains are expected to begin Thursday evening, Quagliariello said. The impacts of Ian on South Carolina’s sandy beaches and dunes along its coasts are likely to cause significant effects, according to the South Carolina U.S. Geological Survey.
County and state officials urged that residents’ storm preparation be wrapped up Thursday before nightfall to avoid the deluge and high winds.
Beaufort County remains under the following National Weather Service-issued alerts:
High surf advisory until 8 p.m. Saturday.
Rip current advisory until 8 p.m. Friday.
Flood watch until midnight Saturday.
Storm surge warning.
Hurricane warning.
Tanner reiterated the county is “ready, willing and able” to address Ian’s potential impacts. As of Thursday afternoon, there were no evacuation orders in place for Beaufort County. Under Gov. Henry McMaster’s State of Emergency order issued Wednesday, there are currently no evacuations, lane reversals or state government closings.
“We know this will be a serious storm” McMaster said. “We’re acting now.”
