Ian downgraded to tropical storm, Lowcountry to feel impacts Thursday

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Ian has been downgraded to a tropical storm Thursday morning, however, the Carolinas will begin to feel impacts in the form of strong winds, heavy rain, and storm surges, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Forecasters say Tropical Storm Ian will move into the Atlantic by the afternoon.

Storm Team 2 Meteorologist Josh Marthers said the Lowcountry will start to feel impacts in the form of coastal flooding, with high tides expected around 11 a.m. along Charleston Harbor.

There is a significant risk of flooding happening Friday morning as storm surges from Ian roll onshore in addition to heavy rain.

Marthers said the Lowcountry will feel the first round of impacts Thursday night into Friday morning, with heavy rain and flooding, especially along the coastline.

The second round of impacts will be felt late Friday morning through the afternoon. Power outages may occur during this time with wind speeds upwards of at least 60-80 MPH inside the Charleston metro area and coast, and 40-60 MPH inland.

The storm is expected to move away from the Florida coast late Thursday morning. Forecasters say around midday to late-afternoon Ian will make landfall around the Charleston area.

The Lowcountry felt increased windspeeds, mostly between 15 to 20 MPH with gusts around 20 to 30 MPH, ahead of Ian’s arrival.

Marther said the Charleston Harbor may see tides rise to at least eight feet around 11 a.m., slightly dropping around 11 p.m.

Those tides will pick back up Friday around noon and are expected to be around 8.7″ due to the storm surge as Ian approaches the coast.

Keep checking our Tracking Ian page for more updates on the storm. You can also stay updated on the latest weather and breaking news with the News 2 and Storm Team 2 apps.