Gaston County bracing for a rainy weekend

Kara Fohner, The Gaston Gazette
·1 min read

Gaston County can expect a wet weekend, with as much as eight inches of rain expected in a downpour that is forecasted to start on Friday and last into Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

This satellite image provided by NOAA shows Hurricane Ian off Florida's southwest coast Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Ian has rapidly intensified off Florida's coast, gaining top winds of 155 mph, just shy of the most devastating Category 5 hurricane status.
This satellite image provided by NOAA shows Hurricane Ian off Florida's southwest coast Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Ian has rapidly intensified off Florida's coast, gaining top winds of 155 mph, just shy of the most devastating Category 5 hurricane status.

The rain is expected to begin Friday morning or afternoon as Hurricane Ian makes landfall in either Georgia or South Carolina, said meteorologist Christiaan Patterson.

"We do not have the exact location right now because it's still a little too far out, but the rain should start about that time and move northwestward," Patterson said.

Much of the region is expected to get three to five inches of rain, but some areas could see as much as six to eight inches or more, Patterson said.

"We could see even higher amounts, but at this time we do not have exact locations on that," Patterson said.

"Any areas that have seen rain recently can be impacted a little bit more as the ground is already saturated," she said. "Campgrounds would be a really big issue right now. So anyone planning to camp I would recommend not going."

Gaston County residents should expect rain all day on Saturday, with the rain tapering off late Sunday morning or sometime on Sunday afternoon.

"So I would definitely say this is going to be a wet weekend for sure," Patterson said.

Hurricane Ian grew into an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm, with winds as strong as 155 mph, on Wednesday. The storm made landfall Wednesday in Florida as one of the most powerful storms to ever hit the United States.

Reporter Kara Fohner can be reached at 704-869-1850 or at kfohner@gannett.com.

A Weather Channel reporter is live on Fort Myers Beach as Hurricane Ian strikes Southwest Florida.
A Weather Channel reporter is live on Fort Myers Beach as Hurricane Ian strikes Southwest Florida.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Gaston County bracing for a rain during Hurricane Ian