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NWS: 'Confidence increasing' that Ian will bring us wind, rain

By Lightning Reports, Published: September 27, 2022

The National Weather Service said that today "confidence is increasing" that remnants of Hurricane Ian could bring high winds and heavy rain to Western North Carolina this weekend, though forecasters caution that there's still uncertainty.

Henderson County Emergency Services Director Jimmy Brissie sent out an advisory Monday noting that models are split on an eastward or westward track. A westward track would bring the greater chance of damaging winds and flooding. The impact depends, too, on the location of Ian's landfall and the intensity of the storm at the time, the advisory said. Now a tropical storm, Ian is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane before making landfall along the Florida Panhandle Thursday night or Friday.

"The remnants of Hurricane Ian is expected to approach the area Friday into Saturday," the weather service's most recent advisory for our region said. "Confidence is increasing that windy conditions and heavy rainfall may impact the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia, mainly late Friday through Saturday, but there is still some uncertainty in the exact track and timing of this system."

Forecasters say Ian will bring a life-threatening storm surge along much of Florida's west coast beginning Wednesday morning while lashing the region with hurricane-force winds.