Ian was downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone Friday afternoon. The National Hurricane Center says there's still a threat of dangerous storm surge, flash flooding, and high winds in the state.

As of 5 p.m. Friday, a storm surge warning is in place from south of the NC-SC state line, to Carolina Beach, along with the Neuse River area near New Bern. A storm surge watch is in place from near Carolina Beach to Duck, including the Pamlico Sound up to the Beaufort area.

According to the NHC:
— a storm surge warning means that there's a danger of life-threatening flooding, from rising water moving inland from the coastline
— a storm surge watch means there's a chance of life-threatening flooding, "from rising water moving inland from the coastline, in the indicated locations during the next 48 hours"

Just a few hours ago, Ian made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane in South Carolina.

North Carolina emergency management leaders say people should stay indoors and off the roads, if at all possible. Hurricane Ian made landfall in South Carolina this afternoon and is expected to reach North Carolina tonight.

Utility crews from other parts of the country were brought in and are on standby to restore power as needed. In a Friday afternoon briefing, Emergency Management Director William Ray said flash flooding is possible in many parts of the state, which brings higher risks when driving.

"Folks really need to stay off the roads. Just with how quickly the water can move and shift and come and go. That still is very much a threat and a hazard out there," said Ray.

State emergency management officials along with the National Guard and local first responders are "staged across the state," said Governor Roy Cooper.

Rainfall totals had already reached nearly two inches in Goldsboro by Friday afternoon. Heavy rains are expected throughout much of North Carolina this evening and night.

More than 70,000 Duke Energy customers — the state's largest utility — were already without power as of 3:45 p.m., as Hurricane Ian gets closer to North Carolina. To keep track of power outages in your area, you can sign up for text or email alerts from Duke Energy.

Cooper said that at least 71 school districts are either on modified school schedules or closed during the storm.

Hurricane Ian made landfall once again, this time near Georgetown, South Carolina. The National Hurricane Center reports the storm currently has maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, making it a Category 1 hurricane.

Ian is expected to head inland across eastern, S.C., and central, N.C. Friday night and into Saturday. Here are the NHC's latest severe weather warnings for the state:

A storm surge warning is in effect for:
— Savannah River to Cape Fear, N.C.
— Neuse River, N.C.

A hurricane warning is in effect for:
— Savannah River to Cape Fear, N.C.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for:
— Cape Fear to Duck, N.C.
— Pamlico Sound

A storm surge watch is in effect for:
— North of Cape Fear to Duck, N.C
— Pamlico River
— Cape Fear River

A hurricane watch is in effect for:
— East of Cape Fear to Surf City, N.C

Many areas on Charleston’s downtown peninsula were underwater midday Friday and officials reported widespread power outages across the historic city as Hurricane Ian approached.

Officials said power had been knocked out across the city as high winds and sheets of rain whipped trees and power lines pending Ian’s expected landfall just up the South Carolina coast.

The storm's expected landfall coincided with high tide, a circumstance that was forecast to lead to widespread roadway blockages.

City officials were out early Friday, clearing storm drains and pumping water away from the historic Battery area along the city’s southern tip, into Charleston Harbor.

Thousands of people are already without power, as Hurricane Ian continues to approach North Carolina.

According to Duke Energy, the state's largest utility, there are more than 10,000 reported power outages.

The National Weather Service says tropical storm force winds have already reached some areas in North Carolina, including the Fayetteville region.

As Ian moves north along the Atlantic, here's how to get the latest storm updates from across the region:

Sign up for alerts

You can sign up for real-time alerts by making sure your phone is set to receive emergency alerts from local, state and federal public safety authorities, as well as downloading the FEMA app.

Get state and local updates

You can monitor the social media accounts of the National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has this handy list of Hurricane Ian resources (including forecasts, evacuation and shelter information, maps, accounts to follow and safety resources) all on one webpage.

If you want to stay informed while conserving your phone battery and data usage, visit NPR's text-only site at http://text.npr.org.

Georgia

You can follow the Georgia Emergency Management Agency on Twitter and Facebook, as well as the websites and social media pages of your county government and emergency management.

Atlanta, Savannah (GPB)

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Emergency Information Center

Atlanta, Savannah (WABE)

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Facebook

South Carolina

You can follow the South Carolina Emergency Management Division on Twitter and Facebook, as well as the websites and social media pages of your county government and emergency management.

South Carolina Public Radio

• Twitter
• Facebook

North Carolina

You can follow the North Carolina Emergency Management on Twitter and Facebook, as well as the websites and social media pages of your county government and emergency management.

Asheville (Blue Ridge Public Radio)

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Live blog

Charlotte (WFAE)

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Live blog

Durham-Chapel Hill (WUNC)

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Live blog

Wilmington (WHQR)

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Facebook

Florida

You can follow the Florida Division of Emergency Management on Twitter and Facebook, as well as the websites and social media pages of your county government and emergency management.

Here's how to keep up with your local station:

Tampa Bay (WUSF)

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Live blog

Miami (WLRN)

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Live blog

Fort Myers (WGCU)

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Facebook

Orlando (WMFE)

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Facebook

Jacksonville (WJCT)

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Facebook

With Hurricane Ian approaching eastern North Carolina, one expert says the biggest threat will be water produced by heavy rainfall and coastal and river flooding.

Rick Luettich, director of the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences in Morehead City, spoke about what's happened in the past.

"People whose houses came down around them found themselves out in the water and the ones that lived to tell about it may have caught onto a tree branch and may have clutching a tree just to keep themselves from being swept away," Luettich said. "The water is that powerful."

Luettich says more deaths from tropical storms and hurricanes are water related versus wind related.

Wake County officials have announced the opening of additional emergency homeless shelters in the wake of Hurricane Ian.

The county is covering costs for staffing the emergency shelter and delivering nearly 150 kits with bedding, blankets and cots.

“No one should have to ride out a storm sleeping outside in the rain and possibly dangerous winds,” said Lorena McDowell, Director of Affordable Housing & Community Revitalization, in a press release. “The community partners worked hard to fulfill their mission, organizing volunteers and food. They reached out to us to fill some gaps and we were happy to partner with them again.”

At the moment, the county does not have plans to open shelters for the general public but is prepared if the weather or impact increase in intensity.

NOAA

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GOES-East

The main airport in Charleston, South Carolina, has closed ahead of the expected arrival of Hurricane Ian.

Officials with the Charleston International Airport said Friday they had shuttered the airport, where airlines had already canceled dozens of fights, and winds reached 40 mph.

The airport will remained closed until 6 a.m. Saturday.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster planned a briefing at 12:30 p.m. Friday. Under a federal disaster declaration approved by President Joe Biden, federal emergency aid has been made available to supplement South Carolina’s state, tribal and local response efforts pertaining to the storm, which was expected to make landfall in the state later Friday.

After downgrading to a tropical storm yesterday, Ian is once again a hurricane.

State officials say Ian is expected to bring severe weather to North Carolina today and Saturday. That includes heavy rainfall and gusty winds.

The storm's path keeps changing, but State Emergency Management director Will Ray warned people to be ready for a loss of power.

"The track of Hurricane Ian continues to evolve and adjust where we may see impacts here in North Carolina," Ray said. "With gusty winds and potentially saturated grounds, we're likely to see toppled trees bringing down power lines and causing power outages."

Ray said the state isn't expecting widespread power outages but high winds could bring isolated outages. And that's already happening, as wind speeds increase at the storm's outer bands.

Early this morning, Duke Energy reported about 1,000 customers were without power, mostly in Winston-Salem and Holly Springs.

With heavy rain from Tropical Storm Ian expected for most of the day and flash floods a possibility across the entire state, Governor Roy Cooper is warning about one of the deadliest threats.

"Most important, don’t drive through water on the roads," Cooper said. "Many people have died in past storms when their vehicles were caught in floodwaters. Don’t take the chance. If the road is flooded, turn round, find a different route."

Heavy rainfall is expected throughout today, with as much as 7 inches falling in Western North Carolina. The National Hurricane Center says the entire state faces at least some chance of flash flooding. There also is a heightened risk of tornadoes and coastal flooding.

Cooper said he has activated 80 members of the state National Guard to help with the storm response.

Wilfredo Lee

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AP

A revived Hurricane Ian set its sights on South Carolina's coast Friday and the historic city of Charleston, with forecasters predicting a storm surge and floods after the megastorm caused catastrophic damage in Florida and left people trapped in their homes.

With all of South Carolina’s coast under a hurricane warning, a steady stream of vehicles left Charleston on Thursday, many likely heeding officials’ warnings to seek higher ground. Storefronts were sandbagged to ward off high water levels in an area prone to inundation.

Along the Battery area at the southern tip of the 350-year-old city’s peninsula, locals and tourists alike took selfies against the choppy backdrop of whitecaps in Charleston Harbor as palm trees bent in gusty wind.

With winds holding at 85 mph (140 kph), the National Hurricane Center's update at 5 a.m. Friday placed Ian about 145 miles (235 km) southeast of Charleston and forecast a “life-threatening storm surge” and hurricane conditions along the Carolina coastal area later Friday.

The hurricane warning stretched from the Savannah River to Cape Fear, with flooding likely across the Carolinas and southwestern Virginia, the center said. The forecast predicted a storm surge of up to 7 feet (2.1 meters) into coastal areas of the Carolinas, and rainfall of up to 8 inches (20 centimeters).

National Guard troops were being positioned in South Carolina to help with the aftermath, including any water rescues. And in Washington, President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for the state, a needed step to speed federal assist for recovery once Ian passes.

The storm was on track to later hit North Carolina, forecasters said. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper urged residents to prepare for torrents of rain, high winds and potential power outages.

Ian is a hurricane once again as the storm's maximum sustained winds have ramped back up to near 75 mph, the National Hurricane Center reported in a Thursday evening update.

The now-Category 1 hurricane is expected to bring "life-threatening flooding, storm surge, and strong winds" as it heads toward the Carolinas and Georgia, says the NHC.

National Hurricane Center

A hurricane warning has been issued from Little River Inlet, S.C. to Cape Fear, N.C.
with hurricane-speed winds expected to begin early Friday. Hurricane conditions may also begin Friday morning in the hurricane watch area which stretches from east of Cape Fear to Surf City, N.C.

See a detailed forecast in the latest public advisory from the NHC.

As a reminder, according to the NHC:
— a tropical storm warning means "tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area"
— a storm surge warning means that there's a danger of life-threatening flooding, from rising water moving inland from the coastline
— a storm surge watch means there's a chance of life-threatening flooding, "from rising water moving inland from the coastline, in the indicated locations during the next 48 hours"

All classes at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke will be canceled on Friday due to Tropical Storm Ian's expected impact.

 University officials say that's because the area is expected to experience strong winds and heavy rains, starting Friday morning and continuing through the night.

Residence halls will still remain open, and some dining operations will be closed or will be open in a limited capacity.

UNC Pembroke students who have medication that requires refrigeration are asked to contact Student Health Services at 910-521-6219 to make arrangements.

North Carolinians should get ready for the possibility of power outages over the weekend, said Gov. Roy Cooper in a Thursday afternoon storm briefing with emergency management officials.

Cooper suggested residents gather emergency supplies like non-perishable food, flashlights, and water.

Duke Energy spokesman Jeff Brooks said Tuesday that North Carolina crews will stay here until the storm passes to evaluate the greatest areas of need. The company's drone crews are also on standby across the Southeast to help survey storm damage.

Duke Energy issued a reminder Wednesday on social media to "stay away from downed power lines" and that "if you see a downed power line, assume it is energized and dangerous."

To keep track of power outages in your area, you can sign up for text or email alerts from Duke Energy.

Durham, Cumberland, and Guilford County Public Schools will move to remote learning Friday due to Tropical Storm Ian.

Meanwhile, some other school districts have announced closures, including the following:

— All classes are canceled for the Wake County Public School System
— Orange County schools are also closed and the district’s events are canceled after 6 p.m. Thursday evening
— Alamance County schools will close with all school activities canceled as of 8 a.m. Friday morning

Tropical Storm Ian — downgraded from a hurricane Thursday morning — is expected to become a hurricane once again by Thursday evening and maintain hurricane-speed winds as it makes landfall over the coast of South Carolina on Friday, according to the latest storm report from the National Hurricane Center. The center of the storm will then head further inland across South and North Carolina on Friday night and Saturday.

As of 2 p.m. Thursday:
— a tropical storm warning is in effect for Little River Inlet, F.L. to Duck, N.C. and the Pamlico Sound
— a storm surge warning is in effect for the Neuse River in N.C.
— a storm surge watch is in effect for North of South Santee River, S.C. to Duck, N.C. and the Pamlico River

According to the NHC, a tropical storm warning means "tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area." A storm surge warning means that there's a danger of life-threatening flooding, from rising water moving inland from the coastline. And a storm surge watch means there's a chance of life-threatening flooding, "from rising water moving inland from the coastline, in the indicated locations during the next 48 hours."

Ian is also expected to bring 3-6 inches of rain to central N.C. with about 8 inches expected in the Western end of the state.