North Carolina in Hanna's path

Tropical Storm Hanna is following a track that brings it ashore near Wilmington on Saturday morning then shows it marching through Eastern North Carolina.

At a briefing this afternoon, Gov. Mike Easley warned that Hanna will likely dump 10 inches of rain and cause flash flooding. He urged citizens to pack money, fuel, food and clothing and be ready to evacuate in the worst case.

In preparation for the storm, Easley activated the state's Emergency Response Team, including 25 swift water rescue teams; 11 urban search-and-rescue teams; 36 wilderness search-and-rescue teams; and, 34 medical assistance teams.

"I'm concerned we could have Hanna, Ike, Josephine," Easley said. "The season is here. You need to be ready."

Hanna was off the coast of Haiti this morning, with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph. It was getting larger but not stronger, according to the National Hurricane Center. Still, forecasters think it could gain strength and become a hurricane on Thursday or Friday.

The National Hurricane Center currently shows its center crossing land near Wilmington on Saturday.

After that, the track takes a northeastward turn through North Carolina. The storm's center is expected to move through the coastal counties, well east of the Triangle, before exiting the state Saturday night.

The National Weather Service projects that it will be a category 1 hurricane at most.

"It doesn't appear to have the strength to become a major hurricane," said Jeff Orrock, warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Raleigh.

Coastal areas of the state have started taking precautions. The Cape Lookout National Seashore plans a mandatory evacuation of all visitors, and the park is scheduled to close at 5 p.m. Thursday.

Triangle officials also are in preparation mode. Cary officials said today they are "getting ready for the worst" and urged residents to do the same.

Town employees have started visiting parks and other Cary facilities to make sure loose items are tied down. Crews also are attending safety briefings this week on working in flooded areas and using equipment such as chainsaws to remove debris.

Crews are checking storm drains and culverts and removing debris along streets to make sure that flood waters drain quickly. Residents are urged to remove debris such as grass clippings, limbs and twigs from catch basins over storm drains in front of their homes.

State and local officials urged people to prepare three-day emergency kits and have a plan to reunite with family if disaster strikes during work or school hours.

Meanwhile, Raleigh officials planned to decide Thursday morning whether to hold the Raleigh Wide Open celebration as planned this weekend to mark the opening of the new convention center. The party is scheduled to start at noon Friday, feature a Friday night performance by Chuck Berry and start again at 11 a.m. Saturday.