RALEIGH – The Red Cross in eastern North Carolina is preparing for Hurricane Hermine to take a path across the area early Saturday as a tropical storm.

Red Cross volunteers across the region are on standby to open shelters and disperse emergency response vehicles into the community should they be needed.

A tropical storm warning has been issued for all counties along the coast of North Carolina. Forecasters are calling for heavy rainfall, storm surge flooding and high winds. The Red Cross encourages residents to take key preparedness steps before the storm arrives.

“We are now about 18 hours away from Tropical Storm Hermine moving along the North Carolina coast, and we want to be sure residents are as prepared as possible,” said Barry Porter, regional CEO of the Red Cross in eastern North Carolina. “Red Cross is prepared to respond in advance of the storm and to assist our communities once the storm’s impacts become apparent.”

DOWNLOAD THE EMERGENCY APP:

The Red Cross Emergency App contains information on how to prepare households and what to do during and after a storm. Users can receive weather alerts for their area as well as areas where their loved ones live. The free Hurricane App can be found in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store by searching for American Red Cross or by going to redcross.org/mobileapps. For more information on how to prepare for all kinds of disasters, people can visit www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster.