Hundreds of flights canceled at Charlotte airport due to Hurricane Ian

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More than 300 flights were canceled at Charlotte Douglas International Airport as Hurricane Ian batters the Carolina coast with high winds and heavy rain.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — More than 300 flights were canceled at Charlotte Douglas International Airport ahead of Hurricane Ian, which is expected to bring heavy rain and gusty winds to the Charlotte metro area Friday. 

As of 2:30 p.m., 310 flights at Charlotte Douglas were canceled, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware. The website also reported 66 delayed flights at Charlotte. 

The first bands of rain moved into the Charlotte area early Friday morning, with heavy downpours expected throughout the day. Ian officially made landfall near Georgetown, South Carolina, at 2:15 p.m. Friday. The National Hurricane Center reported sustained winds of 85 mph as Ian battered the coast with dangerous storm surge and heavy rain. 

Chief meteorologist Brad Panovich said the heaviest rain will likely be Friday afternoon into evening, with wind gusts up to 50 mph possible in Charlotte. 

For the latest updates on Hurricane Ian, including live severe weather warnings and notifications, download the WCNC Charlotte mobile app.

Friday is a Weather Aware Day. Any time a person sees the Weather Aware label on the forecast or on social media, they know it’s about their personal safety, their family’s safety and protecting their property. 

Beyond the typical severe weather, there are dangerous heat waves, record-breaking cold snaps or even hazardous winds that could impact people’s safety. Those instances would cause WCNC Charlotte’s Weather Team to tell everyone they should be Weather Aware.

Multiple school districts in the Charlotte area, including Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, switched to virtual learning Friday to protect students and staff from the storm. 

RELATED: Complete list of school closings & delays due to Ian

The storm will move through the Piedmont fairly quickly Friday night, which is good news for any flooding. The mountains and foothills of North Carolina will be at a greater risk of flooding as the rain lingers on Saturday. Panovich said the flash flood risk is pretty significant, especially in the mountains where the runoff will be moving quickly. 

Panovich said there could be flash flooding in North Carolina cities across the area, including Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia, Hickory and Huntersville as Ian drenches the Carolinas. Fortunately, it’s moving quickly for most of the Charlotte metro. 

“Saturday afternoon is looking much better,” Panovich said. “It’s probably going to be windy with some isolated showers but not too bad.”

🌩ī¸ If you like weather, watch Brad Panovich and the WCNC Charlotte Weather Team on their YouTube channel, Weather IQ. đŸŽĨ