Rain overnight in Charlotte. Strong winds, Ian storm moves through.
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Bands of heavy rain and tropical storm winds knocked out power for thousands in the Charlotte region late Friday afternoon and well into the evening hours after Hurricane Ian barreled inland from the coast.
Ian made landfall at 2:05 p.m., near Georgetown, South Carolina, with 85-mph winds, according to the National Hurricane Center. The system then was downgraded to a post-tropical storm.
A flood advisory is in effect until at least 9 p.m. Friday. Mecklenburg and surrounding counties remain under a tropical storm warning and a flood watch until Saturday morning, the National Weather Service says.
Rain showers are expected to continue overnight with temperatures at about 55 degrees in the Charlotte region and as low as 46 in the North Carolina mountains, the National Weather Service Office of Greenville-Spartanburg said Friday.
Doug Outlaw of the National Weather Service office in Greer, South Carolina and fellow NWS meteorologist Trisha Palmer provided this additional timeline:
Through 7 p.m. Winds are expected to max out in Charlotte. Sustained winds of 30 mph and gusts of 45 mph or higher are predicted.
At 4 p.m., Charlotte Douglas International Airport saw its highest gust of the day so far at 44 mph, the NWS Greer office reported on Twitter.
Through 8 p.m.: Charlotte can expect its heaviest rain from Ian.
Palmer explained Friday afternoon why Charlotte’s predicted rainfall was down from the originally forecast 4-6 inches. Ian’s projected center shifted further east over the past couple of days, she said, from a bullseye on Charlotte to the Marlboro County, South Carolina, and Richmond County area. But Ian’s multiple bands are so wide that enough rain could still fall in the Charlotte area to flood roads and knock trees onto power lines, Palmer said.
Saturday 2 a.m.- 8 a.m. Less than a quarter inch of rain is expected. “It’s pretty much over by noon,” Outlaw said.
Charlotte could see a total of nearly 3 inches of rain through all of Friday and early Saturday, according to NWS projections. Monroe could see 3 1/4 inches and Statesville and Mount Pleasant 3 1/2 inches.
Power outages in Charlotte, NC
UPDATED AT 8:45 p.m. — More than 266,000 Duke Energy customers in North Carolina were without power, according to the company outage map.
Duke Energy reported that as many as 11,600 customers in Mecklenburg County lost service, including many in Charlotte. Duke advises customers to prepare for several days of power outages.
Just south of Charlotte, more than 1,000 customers in York, Chester, and Lancaster counties lost power because of trees on power lines, The Herald in Rock Hill reported.
Streetcar service resumes
UPDATED AT 5:49 p.m.: CityLYNX Gold Line service had paused because of a downed tree on the system, Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) said on Twitter at 5:23 p.m. By 5:49 p.m., normal service resumed.
Hornets players keep eye on weather
UPDATED AT 3:55 p.m. — Charlotte Hornets players kept an eye on the worsening weather Friday afternoon from the team’s uptown practice facility next to Spectrum Center, coach Steve Clifford said.
“Yeah, it looks nasty, and the guys are trying to kind of get out of the building quickly so everybody can get home and be safe,” Clifford said. “Obviously, we’ve been inside here, so I haven’t been outside since early this morning. But I just looked out and obviously it doesn’t look good.”
The Hornets open their NBA preseason schedule Sunday in Boston against the Celtics.
Delays, cancellations at CLT airport
UPDATED 6:40 p.m. — More than 300 have been flights were canceled Friday between Charlotte Douglas International Airport and airports in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas, according to FlightAware.com, a flight-tracking site.
American, Delta, Southwest and United airlines and other carriers are letting passengers rebook without change fees if their flights are affected by Hurricane Ian.
American Airlines is the dominant carrier at CLT airport.
Anyone headed to CLT airport should allow extra time for dropping off or picking up passengers. The airport closed its upper-level roadway for two weeks Tuesday night so crews could begin work on a new canopy. Drivers should expect to see signs directing them to the lower level for arrivals and departures.
Loose sign closes I-277 lanes
UPDATED AT 12:45 p.m. — A loose overhead sign has closed three lanes on outbound Interstate 277 near West 12th Street in uptown, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said on Twitter at 12:37 p.m.
Drivers should avoid this area while an N.C. Department of Transportation crew repairs the sign.
Two previous road closures — on Plainville Drive northwest of uptown and on Exchange Street near Toddville Road — have been been cleared, police said.
Stay off the roads, officials urge
UPDATED AT 12:30 p.m — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said it is receiving normal call volumes and said it would stay that way if folks stay off the roads now and especially between 2 p.m. and 2 a.m., when the heaviest rains and wind gusts are expected in Mecklenburg County.
“Many of the accidents that we see during flooding events occur because of hydroplaning. So slow down, don’t drive through standing water,” CMPD Maj. Brian Foley said during a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management news conference Friday morning. “If you do hit a patch of standing water, especially on the interstates, again, don’t slam on the brakes, don’t overcorrect your steering. Allow that car vehicle to pass through the water and you should be fine.”
Charlotte Fire has responded to 12 calls since midnight Friday related to downed trees or power lines. No injuries have been reported, said Capt. Jackie Gilmore.
Medic Deputy Director Jonathan Studneck said Mecklenburg County’s EMS agency has responded to 14 traffic accidents since midnight.
“We expect to see that number increase if motor vehicle traffic increases on the streets,” Studneck said.
Live updates from the Carolinas
HURRICANE IAN: Live updates from Myrtle Beach
HURRICANE IAN: Live updates from Hilton Head Island
HURRICANE IAN: Live updates from Columbia & South Carolina
HURRICANE IAN: Live updates from Raleigh & the Triangle
HURRICANE IAN: Live updates from Rock Hill
CMS, school districts shift plans ahead of Ian
UPDATED 7:45 a.m. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools moved to remote instruction for Friday because of Ian’s impact on the area. All schools and facilities will be closed through Sunday, and all services and activities will be canceled, CMS told The Charlotte Observer.
A number of counties in the Charlotte area are under a tropical storm warning, including Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Catawba, Chester, Davie, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Rowan and Union, and, in South Carolina, York County.
Many private schools, including Providence Day, Charlotte Latin, Charlotte Country Day and Charlotte Christian, also have canceled class. Charlotte Catholic High School switched to remote learning.
Storm closings
Ian has postponed or canceled many events and closed government offices in the Charlotte region, including:
CharMeck 311: Closes at 7 p.m. Friday and will have extend operating hours of 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. Automated service through calling 311 can dispatch help for water, sewer and storm water issues. Requests can be made online 24/7.
Mecklenburg County government offices: Noon Friday closure, except for CharMeck 311 and 911 emergency services.
Mecklenburg County Solid Waste centers: Expected to re-open at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Mecklenburg County courts: All Friday afternoon sessions are canceled and will be rescheduled for the next available court date. Courthouse closes to the public at 1 p.m. Friday. The Clerk of Superior Court’s office also closes at 1 p.m. and will have an alternate site for filings and payments open from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Magistrate’s Office, 801 E. Fourth St.
Mecklenburg County-run parks and sports: All weekend county-run sports activities are canceled. Gates close at noon Friday at Freedom Park, Kirk Farm Fields and Revolution Park due to flood risk. All parks and facilities will open at 9 a.m. Saturday, except facilities scheduled to open at a later time. Some locations could have delays due to weather-related impacts. Synthetic fields will open at 9 a.m. Saturday but grass fields remain closed through Sunday. McDowell campground will be closed on Saturday and all nature center programming has been canceled Saturday.
Charlotte International Arts Festival: Blumenthal Performing Arts canceled all Friday outdoor festival events.
Carolina Renaissance Festival: The festival in north Mecklenburg will not open its two-month weekend run as scheduled on Saturday, Oct. 1. Ticket holders for Oct. 1 should check their email for information on full refunds. Festival organizers hope weather conditions allow for opening on Sunday.
Concord International Festival: The free festival is rescheduled for noon-6 p.m. Oct. 22 along Union Street and Cabarrus Avenue in downtown Concord.
Scarowinds: Tickets for the annual Halloween-themed event at Carowinds dated for Friday, Sept. 30, will be valid any day the park is open through Dec. 31.
Ian lashes South Carolina as Florida’s death toll climbs
Staff writers Genna Contino, Roderick Boone, Hannah Lang, Kallie Cox and Anna Maria Della Costa contributed.
This is a developing story.
