A revived Hurricane Ian made landfall near Georgetown, South Carolina, Friday afternoon, flooding the coast and parts of historic Charleston after the deadly storm caused catastrophic damage in Florida.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Ian’s center made landfall at 2:05 p.m. ET as a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph. 

It was downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone around 4:45 p.m. Friday, but the NHC said the threat of dangerous storm surge, flash flooding and high winds remains. 

Ian had sustained winds of 70 mph late Friday afternoon and was moving north at 15 mph. It was forecast to weaken quickly over land. 

A Storm Surge Warning remained in effect for parts of the North Carolina coast. A surge of more than 4 feet is possible, which could make travel difficult, FOX Weather reports. 

Sheets of rain whipped trees and power lines and left many areas on Charleston’s downtown peninsula under water by midday. Four piers along the coast, including two at Myrtle Beach, collapsed into the churning waves and washed away. Online cameras showed seawater filling neighborhoods in Garden City to calf level.

Photo: Pawley’s Island Police

The hurricane warning stretched from the Savannah River to Cape Fear, with flooding likely across the Carolinas and southwestern Virginia, the National Hurricane Center said.

Charleston County emergency services were suspended during the storm because of high winds. 

In a tweet, officials said they were pausing response efforts “due to current wind conditions” and would resume service “as soon as it is safe to do so.”

Charleston police were also restricting access to the city’s Battery area, a spot at the tip of the peninsula that is home to many multi million-dollar, historic homes.

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A storm surge of 4 to 7 feet is predicted along the South Carolina coast, including the city of Charleston. A 3- to 5-foot surge is forecast from the South Carolina-North Carolina border to Cape Fear, North Carolina. A storm surge of 3 to 5 feet is also expected from the Savannah River to Edisto Beach in South Carolina.

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National Guard troops were being positioned in South Carolina to help with the aftermath, including any water rescues. And in Washington, President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for the state, a needed step to speed federal assist for recovery once Ian passes.

Ian is expected to weaken rapidly over land, then transition into a post-tropical cyclone on Friday night. It is expected to dissipate over western North Carolina or Virginia by late Saturday.

Hurricane Ian impacts in North Carolina

In North Carolina, heavy rain bands and winds crept into the state Friday afternoon. Gov. Roy Cooper warned residents to be vigilant, given that up to 8 inches (20.3 centimeters) of rain could fall in some areas, with high winds.

“Hurricane Ian is at our door. Expect drenching rain and sustained heavy winds over most of our state,” Cooper said. “Our message today is simple: Be smart and be safe.”

Hurricane Ian devastates southwest Florida

Ian came ashore Wednesday on Florida’s Gulf Coast as a monstrous Category 4 hurricane, one of the strongest storms ever to hit the U.S. It flooded homes on both the state’s coasts, cut off the only road access to a barrier island, destroyed a historic waterfront pier and knocked out electricity to 2.6 million Florida homes and businesses — nearly a quarter of utility customers. 

At least nine people were confirmed dead in the U.S. — officials in Florida fear the death toll from Hurricane Ian could rise substantially, given the wide swath of the state swamped by the storm.

Among those killed were an 80-year-old woman and a 94-year-old man who relied on oxygen machines that stopped working amid power outages, as well as a a 67-year-old man who was waiting to be rescued died after falling into rising water inside his home, authorities said.

Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said responders have focused so far on “hasty” searches, aimed at emergency rescues and initial assessments, which will be followed by two additional waves of searches.

He said Friday that the initial responders might detect deaths without confirming them.

By Friday morning, the number of people without power dropped below 2 million, but 99% of Hardy County was without power, and 85% of Charlotte and Lee counties were without power.

READ MORE: Ian brings more damage to Florida’s already unstable insurance market

From trees getting ripped out of the ground to signs being ripped apart, traffic lights crashing onto roadways and some buildings simply being destroyed, the impact in southwest Florida was everywhere and almost nothing was spared.

Fort Myers Beach is, quite simply, destroyed. Businesses are gone. Jobs are obviously lost, at least temporarily. The cleanup will take weeks and that will almost certainly have to precede any rebuilding efforts. The damage assessments, and the cleanup, are just beginning.

Flooding was also widespread in the Orlando and Daytona Beach areas on the Atlantic Coast. 

Cars are submerged in a flooded street in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian on September 29, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Paul Hennessy/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Gov. Ron DeSantis said rescue crews have reached more than 3,000 homes since early Thursday. 

The state expects more rescues on Friday, and they’ve launched a standalone website to let family members know you’re safe: missing.fl.gov.

Hurricane Ian’s storm surge washed a large boat on top of a vehicle damage at Fort Myers Beach on Thursday, September 29, 2022. (Ted Richardson/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)

In Washington, President Joe Biden said he was directing “every possible action be taken to save lives and get help to survivors.”

“It’s going to take months, years to rebuild,” Biden said.

“I just want the people of Florida to know, we see what you’re going through and we’re with you.”

Cuba still in the dark after Ian

Workers of the Cuban electric company repair power lines in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in El Cerro, Cuba, on September 29, 2022. (Photo by ADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP via Getty Images)

Hurricane Ian struck western Cuba Tuesday night and knocked out all of the island’s power grid Tuesday night, leaving its 11 million people in the dark. The storm also left three people dead and caused still unquantified damage.

In addition to power problems Thursday in Havana, internet service was out and cellphones did not work.

A few hundred Cubans took to the streets Thursday night in Havana demanding the restoration of electricity.

FOX Weather and The Associated Press contributed to this report.