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Local emergency management coordinators remain on alert, however, because the projections have changed several times within the last 24 hours, first northeast then east and northeast again.
After a morning conference call, experts say it appears Hanna may hit the Myrtle Beach area sometime early Saturday morning and spare the Roanoke Valley of any major consequences, said Tina Hinton, emergency management coordinator for Halifax County.
Hinton said the call, which brought state emergency management, local emergency management and the National Weather Service together, shows that Greenville, Kinston and Wilson could face the heaviest impact from the storm, expected to be a Category 1 hurricane when it reaches land.
That would mean the Roanoke Valley would see wind gusts of 40 to 45 mph and up to 2 inches of rain.
A decision on whether the Kirkwood Adams Community Center in Roanoke Rapids will be open as a shelter for coastal evacuees will be made later today, Hinton said.
If the predictions hold true the effects of Hanna on the Roanoke Valley Saturday will be “like one of our bad thunderstorms,” Hinton said. “The one thing to watch out for is flash foods. If you don't have to drive stay off the roads.”
“It's shifting back and forth. For a while it was moving northwest,” said Brian Wimer, a senior meteorologist with accuweather.com.
There was one point where meteorologists expected the storm to make landfall in southern Florida, Wimer said this morning.
Because the storm is expected to accelerate once it makes landfall there shouldn't be a lot of rainfall accompanying the storm, said Wimer. “It's hard to say for sure. It could bring three to five inches. It will eliminate the number of hours of heavy rainfall.”
In their last conference call Wednesday afternoon, local emergency management officials were told Hanna may not make a direct hit on the Roanoke Valley.
They continue to plan as if it is.
“It has shifted,” Northampton County Emergency Management Coordinator Tim Byers said. “It will probably shift again.”
In planning for the storm Byers said, “We're going to prepare as if the storm is going to hit Northampton up to the last minute where if it doesn't, if it shifts one way or another then it's just a plus for us.”
Earlier in the day Wednesday it appeared Saturday, the eye of Hanna, a Category 1 hurricane, was going to split Northampton County, Byers said, and move northeast up the Interstate 95 corridor.
Late Wednesday afternoon, Byers said the storm's projected path shifted east, meaning the area would still get some of the winds from the storm, probably in the range of 35 mph.
That is probably a better scenario than if the storm came full-force through the area, with 100 mph winds and gusts of 30 to 35 mph, Byers said.
The storm was predicted to make landfall in Charleston, S.C, early Saturday morning and move northeast. Now it is expected to head east.
Still local authorities prepare, having two-a-day conference calls with state officials. “We're in contact with the county manager, public works, the sheriff,” Byers said. We are going through our checklist as far as fueling vehicles and sharpening chainsaws. We're looking to get together (Thursday) with the county manager, DSS and look at what the predictions are.”
The best advice Byers can give right now is for people to continue to pay attention to local weather and monitor their weather alert radios. “If there is something to come in we have our Code Red emergency notification system and will send out voice messages by phone if we do open shelters.”
Hinton said officials are closely monitoring the storm to see what could be in store for the area.
What is most bothersome, Hinton said, is that another storm is following Hanna. “What we're looking at is if Ike comes through,” she said. “If we make through Hanna we're worried about Ike which could hit the same time next week.”
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