As the nation prepares for Hurricane Irma to make landfall, forecasters are tracking its potential impact on North Carolina and telling residents to stay prepared and vigilant.
As of Friday afternoon, the National Weather Service says Irma is tracking farther west than expected. That means the brunt of the storm could miss the state entirely.
Still, the Triad and High Country could feel some impact from Irma starting Tuesday: likely a small amount of rainfall and winds gusting up to 40 miles per hour.
National Weather Service meteorologist James Morrow says residents need to stay vigilant, because forecasters expect the storm's path to change.
"There are so many things that can go into both the speed and intensity of this system, especially seeing as it's still out to sea, still out in the warm waters of the Atlantic," Morrow says. "We can certainly see further strengthening and then weakening once it does start to impact land."
State officials are continuing to urge North Carolinians to prepare for the worst, even if the storm ultimately passes us by.