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Hurricane Irma Could Miss North Carolina, But Forecasters Urge Vigilance

As of 2:00 p.m. Friday, Hurricane Irma is tracking farther west than previously predicted. But forecasters warn that they expect the path of the storm to change once it makes landfall. Photo Courtesy: National Weather Service

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.

Sean Bueter joined WFDD in August 2015 as a reporter covering issues across the Piedmont Triad and beyond.Previously, Sean was a reporter, host and news director at WBOI in Fort Wayne, Ind., just a few hours from where he grew up. He also sorted Steve Inskeep's mail as an intern at NPR in Washington, D.C.Sean has experience on a variety of beats, including race, wealth and poverty, economic development, and more. His work has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered, and APM's Marketplace.In his spare time, Sean plays tennis (reasonably well), golf (reasonably poorly), and scours local haunts for pinball machines to conquer.

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