Worst of Hanna expected to hit between midnight and 2 a.m.

Hanna now expected to go ashore near Georgetown Saturday; Ike remains a Category 4 monster

NOTE: An updated closings and cancellations list appears at the bottom of this page.

At 8 p.m. Tropical Storm Hanna was moving quickly north with 70 mph winds at its core. Landfall was expected about 2 a.m. near the South Carolina-North Carolina line.

The National Weather Service, Charleston, called for stiffer winds 45-55 mph, with 55 mph gusts, and periods of heavy rainfall.

A flash flood warning was issued for Charleston County, southern Berkeley and Dorchester counties, and eastern Colleton County until 12:45 a.m.

The storm was about 100 miles south southeast of Charleston.

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Hanna remains a big, sprawling storm, and its effect on the Lowcountry would be about the same if it makes that landfall farther north, according to the National Weather Service.

But Dan Kottlowski, AccuWeather.com meteorologist, said that a landfall farther north would mean somewhat lighter winds for the Lowcountry. He predicted the worst of it would be along the coast, particularly the north end of Charleston County, where 40-60 mph winds with gusts about 70 mph could be expected. The Post and Courier is an AccuWeather.com customer.

Most of the rest of the county will see sustained winds rise to 25-35 mph and 40-45 mph gusts; Berkeley and Dorchester counties will see winds 15-25 mph and gusts to 35 mph. But gusts in all three counties will be stronger nearer to the coast.

Rainfall is now expected to be 2-4 inches and some flooding will occur. Storm surge will be 2-4 feet.

Charleston County called for a voluntary evacuation Thursday night anticipating the tropical storm to pass within 100 miles or closer of the Lowcountry today. The evacuation is for people east of U.S. Highway 17 who live in low-lying places, who feel their homes are vulnerable to storm winds or flooding, or who live in mobile homes.

At 9:25 p.m., Charleston reported a broken water main at East Bay and Guignard.

These roads and intersections remained flooded: Ashley and Fishburne, President and Fishburne, Killian, Camp and Folly, Calhoun and Ogier, King and Huger, Bee – Lockwood to Courtney, Church and Market, the Market area, and Franklin Street.

Flooding had been resolved at the following streets and intersections, Charleston officials reported: Aiken and Shepard, Morrison and Jackson, the Crosstown, King and Maverick, Ashley and Sumter, Hagood - Line to Fishburne, N. Nassau and Romney, Lee – Hanover to Aiken, and President and Huger.

In Mount Pleasant, Bowman Road was closed near East Cooper Hospital due to a downed wire at a transformer at Bowman and Wappataw Place.

At the Circle K at the Mathis Ferry and Bowman intersection, aluminum storm shutters were going up as a precaution.

Clerk Ariel Singleton said she wasn't really worried about Hanna. "Just some rain, pretty much, and a little wind," she said. Tammie Washington, another clerk, said she'd lived in the area for 38 years and evacuated during Hugo, but wasn't worried about Hanna.

A man escaped uninjured when the GMC Yukon he was driving overturned.

Brandon Drayton, 23, of North Charleston was driving on Highway 17 North at Brickyard Plantation.

He said he did a 360 in the road, ran off the right hand side and landed upside down.

"If it wasn't wet, I wouldn't have done that," Drayton said.

He crawled out the window of the upside-down Yukon. He was not injured.

It was his mother-in-law's SUV. "I know she's going to kill me," he said.

Heavy flooding was reported on Edgewater Road in Eadytown in northern Berkeley County at 8:45 p.m. Seventeen people are in the shelter at Berkeley High School and 17 in Cainhoy

Elementary/Middle School.

Meanwhile, Charleston County’s Emergency Operation Center planned to remain on highest alert as Hanna promised to bring strong winds and some flooding to the county, particularly to its northern end.

The storm’s outer bands were expected to arrive between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m. tonight. Some parts of the county already had seen 2 inches of rain by this evening.

Activity was low-key Friday evening at the four shelters in North Charleston, where 101 people had moved in by 5 p.m. A few residents trickled into Midland Park Elementary School and Alice Birney Middle School, which is reserved for people with special needs. More than 40 people were in the shelter at Stall High School. While some said they were from nearby neighborhoods, others said they were homeless. Most seeking shelter at Stall were in the school gymnasium, resting on cots provided by the American Red Cross. Volunteers there said that if Hanna's winds grew stronger, they were prepared to move everyone from the gym to a windowless hallway nearby. At the animal shelter in the North Charleston Coliseum, only two dogs had been checked in and both were brought in by animal control workers.

At Tanger Outlet Center, some stores had placed sandbags at their entrances. Workers there were were pumping water off the sidewalks.

So far, 14 residents have taken shelter at Berkeley High School. “All of our emergency persons are on duty,” Berkeley County Supervisor Dan Davis said. “Everybody stands ready.”

The North Charleston Police Department has called in extra officers to patrol the city streets Friday night. Lt. Troy Jefferson said he expects 85 to 100 officers to be on duty by 10 p.m., more than twice the usual number. During an afternoon briefing, Jefferson told officers to watch out for downed power lines and flying debris. He also told them to pay special attention to big shopping centers, such as Tanger Outlet Center, where trees or other debris could have broken through store front windows.

Charleston Mayor Joe Riley said Friday that the city and county are working hard to make sure the area comes through the storm safely.

"Stay home. Protect yourself. Look out for your neighbors. We’re going to get through this just fine," Riley said.

He also urged people to bring inside or secure outdoor furniture and other items.

"What is in your yard that can be blown around, will be blown around," Riley said.

State Rep. Leon Stavrinakis said that government has done all it can. "We should all get through this fine, but all that depends on you at home," he said. "Be sensible, be safe, don’t take unnecessary risks."

Cathy Haynes, director of the Charleston County Emergency Preparedness division, said highway patrol and police officers will monitor the Lowcountry’s bridges and decide when to restrict traffic on them on a case by case basis. Winds on the Ravenel and Wando bridges were 20 mph, gusting to 25 mph, at 9:40 p.m. Police say winds would have to reach 40-50 mph before they would think about closing the bridges.

President Bush telephoned Gov. Mark Sanford this morning to discuss the preparations for Tropical Storm Hanna, the White House reported. Bush spoke with the governors of North Carolina and Virginia, as well, the White House said.

Meanwhile, Tuesday ought to be the deciding day for dangerous Hurricane Ike.

Hurricane Ike's intensity had decreased slightly to a Category 3 storm with 125 mph winds early Friday. It will be moving through the Bahamas by Monday, and is expected to land in South Florida by 8 p.m. Tuesday. "If it's going to take a stab at Charleston, it's going to have to start re-curving at that time," Kottlowski said

For Hanna, the weather will begin worsening by noon. The National Weather Service, Charleston, predicted the north end of Charleston County will feel the worst of the winds, with gusts near hurricane strength tonight. But winds of more than 40 mph will be felt all along the coast and into Dorchester and Berkeley counties by evening.

Emergency managers urged residents to secure or bring inside items that could be blown by the winds. Also, anyone on the barrier islands should consider moving to higher ground if they have questions over safety.

The farther inland, the easier the winds will blow. The north ends of Berkeley and Dorchester counties might be no more than breezy.

But that depends on Hanna making a turn to the northeast as the winds start to hit.

"Hopefully (the turn) is sooner rather than later," said meteorologist Jon Jelsema, with the weather service.

By evening, area bridges could be closed. Charleston International Airport was expecting to stop commercial flights at 5 p.m. Customers were urged to contact airlines for information on flights during the day.

The city of Charleston opened all its parking garages to the public for free until 5 p.m. Saturday.

Folly Beach Mayor Carl Beckmann Jr. cautioned residents that even a moderate storm surge kicked up by winds could wash over the Folly Road causeway, cutting off the island.

Conditions should improve rapidly after midnight Friday, Jelsema said. "Saturday could end up being a fairly nice day around here."

The city of Charleston and other governments moved debris-cleaning equipment into position Thursday to prepare for the storm. The Fire Department handed out 8,000 sandbags Wednesday and were filling 4,000 more Thursday under the Interstate 26 overpass on Heriot Street, said Acting Fire Chief Ronnie Classen. City officials said Friday that some bags may still be available there but no more would be filled.

Behind the rush to get ready for Hanna Thursday was an edgy concern for Hurricane Ike, which could threaten the Southeast coast next week. Gov. Mark Sanford called the Hanna preparations a possible dress rehearsal.

"Ike may well be staring us in the face next week," said Charleston Mayor Joe Riley.

In the Lowcountry, emergency managers who had planned to scale down operations after Hanna will continue to staff their operation centers and watch the next storm. On Thursday, Summey reassured residents that managers throughout the Lowcountry are veterans of handling hurricane emergencies and will do what's necessary to assure people's safety.

"We'll be fine," he said. "We just have to keep working together."

The Post and Courier staff contributed to this report.

School and college closing information

At the college level, the College of Charleston has canceled all Friday and Saturday classes, programs and activities. Charleston School of Law is closed Friday. Medical University of South Carolina classes are canceled Friday and clinics are closed.

Porter Gaud School will dismiss lower-school schools at 11:30 a.m. and middle- and upper-school students at noon Friday; Students or parents who have questions can call 556-3620.

Trident Technical College has canceled all of its Saturday classes. The school will resume a normal schedule Sunday.

Southeastern School of Neuromuscular Massage's Charleston campus classes and massage clinic are closed Friday and Saturday. Classes will resume Monday. Call the emergency hotline at 1-877-3KEISER (1-877-353-4737) or visit the school's Web site for further updates.

Government closures

All Charleston County offices were closed Friday.

Charleston city offices was closed on Friday.

The Charleston County Courthouse was closed Friday and will reopen Monday depending on events.

North Charleston City Hall was closed Friday. City administrators are working out of Charleston County Emergency Operations Center

The Port of Charleston said its employees will work vessels on a limited basis Friday morning as long as winds do not exceed 37 miles per hour when harbor pilots are boarding the ships. But vessel operations could change based on the weather, the SPA said. Previously, the maritime agency previously anticipated closing the port Friday.

More storm-related information:

Free parking is available during the storm at all Charleston parking garages; vehicles left after 5 p.m. Saturday will have to pay for parking. No parking on the first floor and no boats or trailers allowed.

Free sandbags are available on Heriot Street, under the Interstate 26 overpass between King and Meeting streets.

Mount Pleasant has a limited number of sandbags available at several locations including Royall and Ferry streets; Food Lion on Coleman Boulevard; Hughes Rental; Whole Foods on Houston Northcutt Boulevard; Snee Farm entrances on U.S. 17 and Whipple Road; Beaumont Apartments; and a lot across from the gate at Dunes West. The complete list is available on the town's Web site, townofmountpleasant.com.

Residents should limit the number of bags they pick up because no additional bags beyond what’s there now will be available, officials said.

Charleston has hurricane information available on its Web site.

CANCELLATIONS AND CLOSINGS

Governments closed today: Charleston County, city of Charleston, Folly Beach, and North Charleston.

The Citadel: Has canceled all classes and activities after 1 p.m. Friday.

The College of Charleston: Has canceled all Friday and Saturday classes, programs and activities.

Trident Technical College: Main, Palmer and Berkeley campuses are closed today. Students can call 574-6262 ext. 9091 after 3 p.m. today to learn whether the school will hold classes Saturday.

Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital and Roper Hospital: Will operate as usual. However, doctors and patients had the option of rescheduling any non-urgent procedures today. Outpatient surgeries at Roper will be complete in time for patients to be discharged by noon.

-- All Roper St. Francis Healthcare Outpatient Diagnostic Centers will close at noon with the exception of diagnostic services provided at emergency departments, Roper St. Francis Medical Center Berkeley in Moncks Corner and Roper St. Francis Medical Center Northwoods, which will remain open.

-- Roper St. Francis Learning Center will close at 11 a.m. today.

Lowcountry Senior Center: Will close at noon today.

Charleston County Public Library: Its 16 locations and all library book drops will close today.

The Gibbes Museum of Art: Has canceled its Community Day scheduled for Saturday, The event will be held, instead, on Oct. 4, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

The Charleston Farmer's Market: Marion Square market will be closed Saturday.

Yo Art Project: A reception for the kids' exhibit at First Federal on Broad Street that was scheduled for tonight has been canceled. The art work will be on display at the bank all of next week.

The College of Charleston Observatory: Has canceled its scheduled public open house tonight. The next open house for the observatory will be Oct. 3. For more information, go to cofc.edu/observatory.

The South Carolina Aquarium: Attraction and administrative offices will be closed today, but plan to reopen Saturday at 9 a.m. The release of Little Jetty, a juvenile Kemp's ridley sea turtle that was originally scheduled for Saturday is postponed. It will now take place one week later on Sept. 13 at 10:30 a.m. at the Isle of Palms County Park.

Southeastern School of Neuromuscular Massage: Charleston campus closed for classes and massage clinic today and Saturday. Classes will resume on Monday.

Drayton Hall: Closed today and Saturday. Weather and site conditions permitting, Drayton Hall will re-open on Sunday at 8:30 a.m. Visitors should check the Web site at draytonhall.org for updates.

Department of Motor Vehicles: The Lockwood Blvd. office of the Department of Motor Vehicles is closed today. All other DMV offices are open.

The Children's Museum of the Lowcountry: Will be closed today. CML members and guests are asked to call the Museum at 853-8962 to check the status for Saturday.

Charleston Water System: Business offices will close today at noon. Information about storing water and emergency water purification procedures is available on Charleston Water System's web site at charlestonwater.com, as well as in Charleston County's Hurricane Guide. To report a water or sewer emergency, please call 727-6800.

Town of Mount Pleasant: Will suspend all normal operations at 1 p.m. Garbage collection will continue until completion or until wind speed creates an unsafe situation. The EOC activated at 10 a.m. The town switchboard will remain open until 4:30 p.m. at 884-8517. After hours, residents and the public should call (843) 884-4176.

Bosch: The Bosch plant on Dorchester Road has asked that second and third shift associates do not report to work on Friday. Associates scheduled to work on Saturday are asked to call the Plant Operations Status telephone line before their shift to determine when they should report back to work.

S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control:

The following facilities will be closed today

Myrtle Beach Health Department

Surfside Health Department

Georgetown County Health Department

The following facilities will close at noon today

Conway Health Department

Loris Health Department

Charleston County Health Department

Dorchester County Health Department

Berkeley County Health Department

Charleston County Library: All 16 Charleston County library locations and book drops were closed Friday. Officials anticipated a regular schedule on Saturday, but patrons should check the library's Web site ccpl.org for more information.