NATCHEZ — Tropical Storm Fay has been blamed for several deaths so far, but by the time the rains associated with it reach the Miss-Lou today, local emergency officials don’t expect it to be quite so dangerous.

The storm is expected to reach the area in the early morning, but it is hard to predict when it actually will get here because of how it has behaved thus far, Adams County Emergency Director Stan Owens said.

“It’s hard to project when we will see it because the storm has been moving in stop-and-start patterns,” he said. “It has kind of got a mind of its own.”

Whenever the storm gets here, it is expected to dump between five and 10 inches of rain on the area over the course of three days.

“It will probably get over us and hang out,” Owens said.

The storm is also expected to bring with it sustained winds of approximately 15 miles per hour.

Local law enforcement, road crews and the Red Cross have been put on alert, but Owens said he doesn’t look for the area to get any major damage.

“We just have everybody on standby just in case,” he said.

What citizens should do is prepare for the possibility of losing their power for a few hours or even as long as a day, Owens said.

“They should stock up on a little water, and make sure they have gas in their vehicles,” he said.

Tropical Storm Fay first made landfall Monday.