TANGIPAHOA - Tangipahoa Parish president Robby Miller announced that the parish's Emergency Operations Center is fully activate in anticipation of Hurricane Nate.

Miller said his office has been monitoring the storm and staying in close contact with the National Weather Center.

He said the storm is projected to make landfall late tonight, and he expects Tangipahoa to experience the worst of it. 

"Reports indicate our area can expect to experience the most severe storm effects from just after dark until approximately 2 a.m. Sunday," Miller said. 

At this time, Tangipahoa shelters are not open to the public, but there are emergency staff workers present. Instead, Miller encourages at-risk residents to come up with a game plan. 

"We encourage residents who believe they could be in harm's way to move now and seek higher ground," Miller said. 

City officials encourage concerned residents to prepare for the storm with sandbags being given away at two different locations: 

Pleasant Ridge Public Works, located at 44512 W. Pleasant Ridge Road in Hammond;

Roseland Public Works, located at 6301 Commercial Street in Roseland.

You can find more information on the Tangipahoa website.