The National Weather Service released its latest spaghetti model projections late this morning which show Hurricane Irma’s potential path appears to have shifted westward, over western North Carolina and Tennessee.
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper’s emergency response team announced several measures, including activating the National Guard, suspending all roadwork and lane closures, and recalling emergency workers who had traveled to Texas to assist in recovery measures in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.
Emergency Management Director Mike Sprayberry said the state’s federal emergency management partners, would arrive in North Carolina on Sunday.
The National Weather Service’s Nick Petro, said the latest spaghetti model “forecast is becoming clearer” that North Carolina will experience a “significant Tropical Storm or Hurricane” impact.
Petro said the mountainous western region of North Carolina would face serious dangers of flooding and mudslides, but also cautioned that coastal areas would face high rip-tide and storm surge risks.