Gov. Cooper declares State of Emergency for NC ahead of Hurricane Ian's arrival

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Gov. Roy Cooper declared a State of Emergency on Wednesday ahead of the arrival of the remnants of Hurricane Ian.

“A State of Emergency is needed now so that farmers and those preparing for the storm can more quickly get ready for the heavy rain that is likely to fall in much of our state,” Cooper said. “North Carolinians should stay aware, keep a close eye on the forecast and prepare their emergency supplies.”

Though the storm will have weakened from the Category 4 monster that made landfall Wednesday in Florida, the Tar Heel State could still see significant effects.

North Carolina could see heavy rainfall and possible flooding and tornadoes on Friday and Saturday from the remnants of Ian. The State Emergency Response Team will activate Thursday at the State Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh and plans to move to 24-hour operations on Friday morning.

North Carolina’s price gouging law against overcharging in a state of emergency is now in effect statewide.

Cooper also authorized the activation of about 80 members of the North Carolina National Guard to assist as needed.

Much of North Carolina is forecast to see 2-5 inches of rain but 5-7 inches or more will be possible near the coast and along the Blue Ridge Escarpment. There could be flash flooding, landslides in the mountains, and rises on main-stem rivers.

Gusty winds, isolated tornadoes, minor coastal flooding and hazardous marine conditions will also be possible.

The Governor shared tips to make sure people are personally prepared:

• Have multiple ways to receive emergency information, including watches and warnings. Make sure emergency alerts are enabled on a cell phone and download a weather app

• Have an emergency plan. Know where to go if there’s a need to evacuate. Make a plan to stay with family, friends or at a hotel. Public shelters should be a last resort

• Gather some emergency supplies or refresh an emergency kit. Visit ReadyNC.gov for info on how to build an emergency kit

Hurricane Ian is the strongest hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico since Rita in 2005.

Big Weather’s hurricane emergency kit

By Saturday morning, the storm — which is expected to no longer be hurricane strength — will make another landfall somewhere along the Georgia or South Carolina coast. The system will continue on a northwestern path into the North Carolina mountains.

Localized flooding could start to happen around midday Friday. This will coincide with heavy bands of rain from the storm system, meaning the flooding is expected to be localized and not widespread.

With all those conditions combining, power outages are most likely to happen Saturday.

The entire system will be pushing its way out of North Carolina on Sunday. Monday could still have some unsettled weather on the backend of the storm, including scattered showers and cooler temperatures.

Officials in Raleigh and Durham are already planning for any impacts felt from Hurricane Ian. Officials in Raleigh are making sure flood-prone areas are being looked at to deal with any heavy rains. Meanwhile in Durham city leaders are meeting with Duke Energy to talk about their hurricane preparations.

WATCH: First Alert to Hurricane Season

The Associated Press contributed to this report.