Halifax County is under a tornado watch until 11 a.m.

Felt coordinates shelter plans.

County Assistant Manager for Operations Dia Denton said the worst of Hurricane Irene is to be felt in the area in the early afternoon.

The area has already felt some of the effects of the storm, which made landfall at Cape Lookout between 7 and 7:30 this morning.

There have been reports of flooding in Enfield and Roanoke Rapids and a tree fell on a house in Roanoke Rapids.

There are spotty power outages in Roanoke Rapids and Enfield, Denton said in a 7 a.m. update on the storm.

Winds whip traffic lights on Tenth Street.

Ginny Orvedahl, county public information officer, said there was a report of a tree down at Piney Grove Church Road at Highway 903, a large oak tree was down in Hollister at the EMS station, forcing EMS and operations to remove it for ambulance access. The westbound lane of Justice Branch Road at Wayman Church Road was closed for a downed tree and a tree was down at Ricky Lane off Carolina Rest Home Road.

Progress Energy reported 51 power outages in the county, with more expected throughout the day, Orvedahl said.

In Northampton County, Public Information Officer Gary Brown said the county has already received about 3 ½ inches of rain and an additional 3 inches is expected before the storm passes.

Brown said the eye of the storm should remain away from the area but officials expect heavy winds and rains to continue throughout the day until the storm passes.

Shelter activity in both counties was brisk, with 14 coastal evacuees taking shelter in Jackson and 36 seeking refuge at T.J. Davis in Roanoke Rapids.

County Social Services Director Michael Felt said nurses and law enforcement officers were stationed at the shelters in the county. One person with a severe physical disability was taken to the hospital Friday night and is OK, Felt said. “It's a really well oiled machine,” he said of the shelters, which are being run in conjunction with the American Red Cross.

Evacuees from Dare, Perquimans and Currituck counties were staying at the shelter along with students from Turkey, Serbia and Taiwan.

At William R. Davie Middle School, which has been set up for county residents, Alma A. Freeman was making the best of the situation. “I was scared of what might happen, especially with the lights and wind. I came out here yesterday evening.”

Freeman said those staying at the shelter were being treated well. “I just finished a great breakfast and we're going to have a great lunch.”

Daisy Brinkley encouraged her husband to come to the shelter. “We were scared of the storm.”