Ian threatens South Carolina with flooding

CHARLESTON, S.C. Sheets of rain whipped trees and power lines, and many areas on Charleston's downtown peninsula were already under water by midday Friday as a revived hurricane Ian threatened coastal South Carolina with severe flooding after the deadly storm caused catastrophic damage in Florida.

Streets in the 350-year-old city were largely empty. Ian's anticipated landfall just up the South Carolina coast was expected to coincide with high tide, which would make flooding worse.

With winds holding at 140 km/h, the National Hurricane Center's warning stretched from the Savannah River to Cape Fear. The forecast predicted a storm surge of up to 2.1 metres into some Carolina coastal areas, and rainfall of up to 20 centimetres.

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, one of the strongest storms ever to hit the U.S.

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. Among those killed were an 80-year-old woman and a 94-year-old man who relied on oxygen machines that stopped working amid power outages, as well as a 67-year-old man who was waiting to be rescued died after falling into rising water inside his home, authorities said.

Florida Gov. Ron Desantis said Friday that rescue crews had gone door-to-door to over 3,000 homes in the hardest-hit areas.

“There's really been a Herculean effort,” he said during a news conference in Tallahassee.

Climate change added at least 10 per cent more rain to Hurricane Ian, according to a study prepared immediately after the storm, said its co-author, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab climate scientist Michael Wehner.

National Guard troops were being positioned in South Carolina to help with the aftermath, including any water rescues.