The city of Asheville is battening down the hatches as the remnants of the monster storm that was Hurricane Irma moves through Western North Carolina Monday evening and into Tuesday. Right now, forecasters are calling for rain, heavy at times, driven by 10-15 mph winds that could gust up to 40 mph. Stay safe out there.
-Local schools: Asheville and Buncombe County schools were closing early Monday. Other school systems across the region were also closed.
-The Mountain State Fair at the WNC Ag Center in Fletcher was closed Monday.
-The Blue Ridge Parkway south of the Virginia line was closing Monday.
-Asheville Outlets closed at noon on Monday.
-The American Red Cross has opened several shelters for folks across North Carolina, including one at East Henderson High School, 110 Upward Road, Hendersonville 28726.
-Hundreds, if not thousands, of Hurricane Irma evacuees remain in the Asheville area. Be kind.
If you know of any other Hurricane Irma impacts on our area, please leave a comment or email me. Stay safe.