Monday is a holiday, but according to local officials, hurricane preparation does not wait. They’re encouraging all Beaufort County residents to do the same.

“Wednesday will most likely be your final day to complete any preparations, as we could experience impacts as soon as Thursday morning,” Chris Newkirk, chief of fire/emergency management for Beaufort County Emergency Services, wrote in an email on Sunday night.

Hurricane Dorian is currently a category 5 storm that plowed into the Bahamas on Sunday with sustained winds of up to 180 knots and gusts of more than 220. While forecasters have it steering toward the Florida coast and remaining a hurricane for the next five days, a northeast turn could mean its ultimate destination is eastern North Carolina. The impact, at this point, remains unknown.

“There is an increasing likelihood of strong winds and dangerous storm surge along the coasts of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina later this week. Residents in these areas should continue to monitor the progress of Dorian and listen to advice given by local emergency officials,” an update from the National Weather Service Newport/Morehead City office reads. Beaufort County officials, municipal officials, first responders and more will likely meet Monday to discuss next steps, according to Newkirk’s email.

“Please understand that there remains a great deal of uncertainty with the current forecast models, as there continues to be many variables at play. It could be as late as Tuesday before we have a detailed forecast for eastern NC (Storm Surge, winds, etc.),” Newkirk wrote.