Hurricane Ian heads for Carolinas after leaving swath of destruction in Florida

Hurricane Ian heads for the Carolinas after leaving a swath of destruction in Florida after it came ashore on Florida’s Gulf. Now, the deadly storm is threatening South Carolina and Charleston.

A revived Hurricane Ian threatened coastal South Carolina and the historic city of Charleston with severe flooding Friday after the deadly storm caused catastrophic damage in Florida and trapped thousands in their homes.

Sheets of rain whipped trees and power lines and left many areas on Charleston’s downtown peninsula under water by midday. A popular pier in the beach community of Pawleys Island collapsed and floated away. Ian’s anticipated landfall was expected to coincide with high tide, which would make flooding worse.

Ian left a broad swath of destruction after it came ashore on Florida’s Gulf Coast as one of the strongest storms ever to hit the U.S. The storm flooded areas on both of Florida’s coasts, tore homes from their slabs, demolished beachfront businesses and left more than 2 million people without power. At least nine people were confirmed dead in the U.S. — a number that was almost certain to increase as officials confirm more deaths and search for people.

With winds holding at 85 mph (140 kph), the National Hurricane Center’s update at 11 a.m. Friday placed Ian about 60 miles (95 km) southeast of Charleston.

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The center’s hurricane warning stretched from the Savannah River to Cape Fear. The forecast predicted a storm surge of up to 7 feet (2.1 meters) into some Carolina coastal areas, and rainfall of up to 8 inches (20 centimeters).

In Florida, rescue crews piloted boats and waded through riverine streets Thursday to save thousands of people trapped amid flooded homes and buildings shattered by Hurricane Ian.