a Reviving Hurricane Ian is impacting the coast of South Carolina and the historic city of Charleston, with forecasters predicting storm surge and flooding.
Governor Henry McMaster said the storm is expected to bring heavy water to Charleston, especially on Friday afternoon (12pmEDT/1600 GMT) when high tide hits the area.
“So we know there’s going to be a lot of water, a lot of water in Charleston in the afternoon,” he said at a news briefing on Thursday.
With South Carolina’s coast under a hurricane warning, shoppers sanded storefronts in flood-prone areas and a steady stream of vehicles left Charleston for higher ground.
Governor McMaster urged residents to take the storm and official sources seriously.
“We know what’s coming. Oh, so we, there’s a little bit of a ruckus and actually how much rain will rain and how strong the wind will be. But the biggest variable is the human response. Do people fail to take the necessary precautions? That’s the real danger we have of human error.”
Earlier, megastorms devastated Florida, leaving people trapped in flooded homes and killing at least four people.