Claims News Service, Sept. 4, 3:57 p.m. -- Having barreled its way through the Bahamas, Tropical Storm Hanna is headed for the U.S. coast. In anticipation of the storm, North and South Carolina as well as Georgia have activated their emergency centers, and adjusters should be ready to cover the Gulf and Atlantic coasts as early as this weekend.

As of 2 p.m. today, Hanna was located approximately 670 miles south-southeast of Wilmington, North Carolina. According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), the storm is progressing in a northwesterly direction at about 12 miles per hour and generating winds at close to 70 miles per hour. Now classified as a large tropical cyclone, Hanna will likely gain momentum and become a Category-1 hurricane prior to reaching the U.S. near the border between North and South Carolina at some point during the daytime or evening hours on Friday, September 5.

Today, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford urged residents of two northeast counties -- Horry and Georgetown -- to evacuate immediately. Emergency officials in South Carolina were also reportedly preparing to deploy National Guard troops along the coast, while coastal residents moved boats and booked hotel rooms farther inland. In Charleston, workers began boarding up buildings on Wednesday as firefighters filled sandbags and distributed them among residents and business owners.