Though county emergency management officials say they are not expecting major disruptions in the wake of Tropical Storm Hanna — which may affect Powhatan as early as this evening — they are still suggesting county residents stock enough emergency supplies to last at least three days.

Dave Bailey, Powhatan’s Deputy Coordinator of Emergency Management, said this morning that officials expect a few inches of rain to fall between tonight and Saturday evening, and winds in our area to approach 20 mph.

While Bailey said Emergency Management has no plans at this point to open any shelters, he cautioned that all residents should have supplies of water on hand, as well as batteries and a radio.

Bailey said Powhatan is fortunate when it comes to flooding because most major structures are located outside of the flood plain. The rains do pose a risk, however, when it comes to roads.

“It takes only a few inches of moving water to cause a car to float,” said Bailey, noting that drivers often don’t realize how deep a flooded area of road is until it’s too late.

According to a report posted on the National Weather Service’s website this morning at 8 a.m., Hanna was located approximately 425 miles south of Wilmington, NC.

The center of the storm is expected to be near the southeast coast of the US this afternoon.

Please continue to visit http://www.powhatantoday.com for updates on this continuing story.

Story Update: Hanna now expected to affect county sooner

Reaction: What are you doing to prepare for the storm?