NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Authorities expect the effects from Hurricane Irma to be felt statewide in Tennessee as it moves into the state.
Forecasters predict the storm will be a tropical depression by the time it arrives near Jackson by late Tuesday or early Wednesday, bringing wind gusts up to 55 mph and up to 3 inches of rain.
The National Weather Service has issued a tropical storm watch for portions of southern Tennessee and a wind advisory starting Monday afternoon across central and eastern sections of the state, especially in higher elevations.
Tennessee is a destination for some Floridians fleeing the hurricane that made landfall Sunday. The American Red Cross has opened five Tennessee shelters ahead of the storm's arrival. Two are open for evacuees in Nashville and one each in Chattanooga, Johnson City and Memphis.