Hurricane Ian could dump up to 5 inches of rain in NC; flooding and landslides a risk

Whatever Hurricane Ian brings on its uncertain path north, North Carolina can expect a wet, wet weekend.

Meteorologists said Monday the storm could dump as much as 5 inches of rain on the North Carolina coast between Friday and Sunday, with early predictions showing the Triangle getting closer to 2 to 3 inches.

Across Western North Carolina, the National Weather Service warns of landslides triggered by heavy rain, along with power outages from gusts of wind. Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools are already moving football games up a day.

That rain is expected by Friday morning around Raleigh, but storm-watchers shouldn’t focus on the path just yet, said Jimmy Taeger at the National Weather Service.

After weeks of drier weather, he said, the Triangle’s rivers and streams should be better able to manage all of that water. Winds at this point look to be more “breezy” than damaging.

But, he added, “You know how it is with a lot of rainfall. Trees come down pretty easily.”

As of Monday morning, many Triangle eyes were focused on upstate South Carolina, where N.C. State is set to take on Clemson at “Death Valley” Saturday night.

And the IBMA Bluegrass Live festival hits downtown Raleigh Friday and Saturday, bringing memories of 2015 when threats of a hurricane forced all acts indoors and hurt attendance.

But hurricanes are fickle, and Ian has a lot of land to cross before Friday.