WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina officials stressed Thursday now is the time to finalize preparations as Ian heads toward the Palmetto State, forecast to make landfall Friday afternoon around Charleston as a Category 1 hurricane. Ian was downgraded early Thursday to a tropical storm after hitting parts of southwest Florida. But it regained strength to a hurricane later Thursday as it nears South Carolina with life-threatening flooding, storm surge and strong winds, the National Hurricane Center tweeted. John Quagliariello, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said Thursday th…
