NATCHEZ — While the State of Mississippi has issued an official state of emergency for counties affected by Tropical Storm Ida, emergency officials say Adams County is more likely to offer help after the storm than receive it.

Director of Adams County Emergency Management Stan Owens said he believes much of the damage Ida will cause will be on the coastlines of Mississippi and Alabama.

“We’re still keeping an eye on it,” Owens said. “They’re talking about an early morning landfall (Tuesday,) and unless the projections change, the eye is heading for the Mississippi-Alabama state line.”

As of noon today, the weather service reported the storm to be heading about 18 mph toward the coast.

The storm is expected to reach land by 6 a.m. Tuesday morning.

Wind speeds for coastal areas are projected to be 70 mph — a speed Owens said was likely to cause power outages and blow down trees.

However, Owens said Adams County looks to be safe from the storm’s wind and rain.

“During a situation like this, usually in the past, we have played a big support to coastal counties,” Owens said. “That’s the position we’re in now since it doesn’t look like we’re in harm’s way.

“We’re supposed to see rain somewhere between 3 to 4 p.m. this afternoon,” Owens said. “Other than that, there’s a very low chance of us seeing any rain.”

Red Cross agencies across the state participated in a conference call this morning and plan to open three shelters on the coast.

No Adams County shelters will be opened at this time, but as the county’s Red Cross workers keep an eye on the storm, they are prepared to jump into action at any time.

“Everybody is on standby,” Adams County American Red Cross Health Service Manager Ann Thornhill said. “But we’ve made all our necessary contacts.”