Tropical Storm Hanna, on track to make landfall in the Carolinas Friday or Saturday, has county and regional emergency personnel preparing in case a deluge hits Edgecombe County.

County Emergency Services Director Butch Beach said the Department of Social Services, the Health Department, Edgecombe County Public Schools and other county agencies met with local American Red Cross officials Wednesday to go over plans for shelters and emergency communications.

Beach said the county government has gone through inspections of its flood systems and emergency equipment.

"Our maintenance department did a preliminary inspection of the dike, checking the flap gates to make sure they were working," Beach said.

Emergency officials have also checked the county's 800 megahertz emergency radio system, satellite phones and gas generators to make sure necessary equipment is working.

Beach said that some people have asked if any shelters have opened, which he said they have not.

"There's a whole lot going on, most of it is just routine at this time. ... We're doing what the citizens should be doing, (making) sure we're ready" in case Hanna comes through the area, Beach added.

He urged Edgecombe residents to check their emergency kits and make sure they have enough water, food and medical supplies on hand to last for at least 72 hours in case a flood hits.

The director of the American Red Cross for Nash and Edgecombe counties, Lynwood Roberson, said he has been making sure Edgecombe County's emergency plans followed Red Cross's guidelines, so the relief organization can operate county shelters.

Red Cross's Emergency Services Director for Nash and Edgecombe, Roxanne Taylor, said that its shelters would treat only minor injuries and illnesses, referring more severe cases to emergency personnel. She said Red Cross workers can not perform injections on people, but only administer over the counter medicines.

"For anything that could be serious or life-threatening, we call 911," Taylor said.

Roberson said that, besides preparing their emergency kits, residents need to have a person to contact outside the area or region, in case family members get separated and want to find out information about their loved ones.

"One of the things we learned during Katrina, it took forever for family members to find out where other family members were," he said, causing extra stress within the situation.

Edgecombe County Public Schools spokeswoman Diane LeFiles said the school system is going to keep its regular schedule the rest of the week. School officials continue to contact Edgecombe's emergency management, "preparing for the possibility of severe weather by reviewing its ... plans for the use of several school facilities if they are needed," she said.

Pattillo A+ School in Tarboro and G.W. Carver Elementary School in Pinetops will be the first shelters to open if Edgecombe's emergency management requests them to be, LeFiles said.