RALEIGH (AP) ó Emergency management officials prepared Wednesday for heavy rain and some tropical-force winds in eastern North Carolina as a tropical storm takes aim at the Southeast later this week.
Eastern North Carolina should feel effects from remnants of Tropical Storm Hanna by Friday night or early Saturday, state emergency management spokeswoman Julia Jarema said.
Jarema said state emergency operations officials think Hanna will make landfall around Charleston, S.C., late Friday. Jarema emphasized that the storm isnít well organized and that the forecast easily could change.
ěIt depends on what happens in the next 12 to 24 hours,î Jarema said. ěItís not super organized right now.î
The storm winds were 60 mph Wednesday morning, the National Hurricane Center said. A Category 1 hurricane has winds of 74 to 95 mph.
State officials urged residents to prepare emergency kits and keep an eye on weather forecasts.
Military meteorologists expect winds in excess of 30 mph by 10:30 p.m. Friday at Pope Air Force Base, said spokesman 2nd Lt. Chris Hoyler. Winds are expected to last until around 8 a.m. Saturday with maximum sustained speeds of 70 mph between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. Saturday and gusts about 87 mph.
Hoyler said forecasters are expecting 3 to 6 inches of rain at the base next to Fort Bragg.
ěWe wait until we get a good report and the track is decided until we decide whether to shut the base down and only allow essential people,î he said. ěThat determination wonít be made for another day or so.”