CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Hurricane Ian made another landfall Friday, this time in South Carolina, after carving a swath of destruction across Florida earlier this week.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Ian’s center came ashore Friday afternoon near Georgetown with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph.

Ian hit Florida’s Gulf Coast as a powerful Category 4 hurricane with 150 mph winds Wednesday, flooding homes and leaving nearly 2.7 million people without power.

Before landfall, Sheets of rain whipped trees and power lines and left many areas on Charleston’s downtown peninsula under water by midday. A popular pier in the beach community of Pawleys Island collapsed and floated away. In Myrtle Beach, waves were pushing against the city’s boardwalk tourist area, flowing over where thousands of tourists typically fill the wide sandy stretch.

Ian left a broad swath of destruction after it came ashore on Florida’s Gulf Coast as one of the strongest storms ever to hit the U.S. The storm flooded areas on both of Florida’s coasts, tore homes from their slabs, demolished beachfront businesses and left more than 2 million people without power. 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.

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

In North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper urged residents to prepare for torrents of rain, high winds and potential power outages.

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