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GREENSBORO — Hurricane Irene is already trending topic No. 1 among the state’s meteorologists.

“There is some uncertainty in the track, but it’s coming,” said Shawna Cokley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Raleigh.

Irene strengthened into the first hurricane of the 2011 Atlantic storm season Monday, according to the agency. While such storms can bring severe weather, and even spawn tornadoes, meteorologists say the biggest threat to North Carolina this time might be heavy rain.

“A lot of places need that rain, but all at once is not a good thing,” Cokley said. “Anybody that lives in a flood-prone area … especially needs to stay aware.”

The U.S. National Hurricane Center projected that Irene could grow into a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 115 mph over the Bahamas on Thursday.

And it may carry that force northwest just off Florida’s east coast toward landfall in South Carolina. North Carolina is in the middle of the Hurricane Center’s “cone of uncertainty” for the weekend forecast.

Forecasters warned that by then the storm’s path could vary significantly from the current projection.

“They don’t always go where we think they’re going to go,” said Melanie McDonough, spokeswoman for the Greensboro chapter of the American Red Cross, which is already in talks with other chapters across the state.

“It’s real easy to get lulled into that false sense of security that it 'won’t hit here.’ While that may be true most of the time, we should always be prepared.”

Irene is expected to downgrade to a Category 2 storm by the time it hits North Carolina.

“We will occasionally take the brunt of the wind and the rain,” said Mike Wright, deputy director of operations for the Guilford County Emergency Services.

Its team sent out notices Monday to its partner agencies, such as police, fire and street services, reminding them to double check equipment and policies.

“They know what they’re doing and what to expect, but it’s not an everyday event, so we remind them, for example, to make sure the chain saws are fueled and ready to go,” Wright said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Contact Nancy McLaughlin at 373-7049 or nancy.mclaughlin@news-record.com