Governor Roy Cooper has declared a state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Irma possibly impacting the state.

The governor says the declaration, which is for the entire state, takes effect at 8:00 a.m. Thursday.

The hurricane right now could impact our coast Monday and Tuesday. A lot of that depends on when the storm takes its predicted turn north.

Wednesday evening the path showed Irma going through the Bahamas to near Miami by late Saturday.

The governor said people in the state should take this storm seriously. Cooper said now is the time for everyone to get prepared for some type of impact.

The declaration helps move resources into places where they need it, according to the governor.

State emergency managers say they are already coordinating with county emergency management to insure that resources are ready.

Emergency Management Director Mike Sprayberry says North Carolina is also working with FEMA and neighboring states about the need for potential resources.

The governor says the state is in a somewhat better position compared to Hurricane Matthew last October, when rains from an earlier storm swelled inland waterways by the time the center of the storm arrived.