Ian weakens, tropical storm warning no longer active: the latest reports from Southport and Wilmington

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Though not as strong as it was when it hit the west coast of Florida, Ian continues to cause damage as it moves back inland at the South Carolina coast.

11 p.m. The tropical storm warning is no longer in place, and Post-Tropical Cyclone Ian is now moving towards Virginia.

WECT’s Zach Solon and Mara McJilton report on the hurricane’s impact on Southport and Wilmington.

6:10 p.m. A tropical storm warning is still in place, and flooding continues in Ocean Isle Beach.

South Front Street is also closed near Burnett Blvd due to flooding. This section of road floods often; it’s no surprise to see it flooded again during this bout of severe weather. Crews at the scene had to open valves at the nearby park to reduce some of the flooding.

5:10 p.m. The tornado watch for all of Southeastern North Carolina has been cancelled. Gusty winds and storm surges are the main concern going into Friday night.

4:50 p.m. Ian has been downgraded from a hurricane to a post-tropical cyclone, and rain is expected to decrease throughout the area as the night continues.

4:20 p.m. WECT’s Zach Solon and Mara McJilton report on Hurricane Ian’s impact in Ocean Isle Beach and Wrightsville Beach.

Streets, parking lots and canals throughout Ocean Isle Beach have been flooded. The town is asking residents not to use water or sewer services until further notice. The Ocean Isle Beach bridge has been closed.

Heavy rain has been hitting Wrightsville Beach intermittently, but waves continue to get higher at the beach. Though a power pole was knocked down, crews are already on the scene working to repair it.

The number of power outages has significantly increased: about 1,000 near Wilmington, 1,000 in southeast Brunswick County and 2,000 in Whiteville and the surrounding areas.

The Wilmington Police Department reports flooding at Water Street and Princess Street. See the latest traffic updates.

2:50 p.m. Town of Holden Beach Mayor Alan Holden has issued a statement asking residents to not use water and sewer until further notice due to storm conditions.

2:20 p.m. Law enforcement in Bladen, Columbus and Brunswick counties are reporting trees falling onto houses, power lines and roads. New Hanover County continues to report flooding in coastal towns. There are only around 300 customers without power around Whiteville, but several hundred homes near Carolina Beach, Leland and Hampstead are now without power.

The Wilmington Police Department closed Airlie Road, Market Street / S. Water Street and Pine Grove / Greenville Loop Road.

2:05 p.m. Ian officially makes landfall at Georgetown, South Carolina.

1:17 p.m. A tornado was seen by a trained spotter at 12:22 p.m. approximately 8 miles southeast of Holden Beach moving northwest at 55 miles per hour. The cell lasted until 12:56 p.m. Debris was spotted in the tornado, but no damage has been reported so far.

WECT has received multiple photos of downed trees and flooding throughout the area. Over 1,000 customers in Whiteville and surrounding areas have lost power, and roads in Southport, Shallotte and Carolina Beach continue to close due to flooding.

12:30 p.m.

Over 1,000 customers near Whiteville, Lake Waccamaw and Chadbourn lost power; a tornado warning was called for sections of southern Brunswick County.

12 p.m.

WECT’s Lauren Schuster reports from Carolina Beach and Zach Solon reports from Sunset Beach.

Have photos or video of the storm or the damage caused by it? Send them to WECT via See it, Snap it, Send it.

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