Hurricane Irene bore down on the East Coast Friday as government officials spent the day readying emergency shelters, issuing evacuation notices and answering calls from worried citizens.

Suffolk officials suggested evacuations for low-lying areas and mobile homes. The three high schools are open as emergency shelters.

“The city is coming together for the response to the storm,” said Capt. Jim Judkins of Suffolk Fire and Rescue. He’s the city’s emergency management coordinator.

The city will take the brunt of the storm Saturday, though exactly what time and for how long is up to the storm’s still-uncertain track. Judkins said tropical storm-force winds will begin sometime early Saturday morning, with the storm becoming progressively worse throughout the day. Irene should be moved on by daybreak Sunday, Judkins said.

The massive storm weakened somewhat throughout Friday but was still packing a punch with sustained winds at 100 miles per hour. The city was under a hurricane warning beginning Friday morning.

The city’s Emergency Operations Center at the King’s Fork Public Safety Center is open. Judkins said they were getting a lot of calls asking about evacuations.

While the city was not expecting as many problems with storm surge as Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach, storm surge is still expected, Judkins said.

“We’re looking for higher storm surge than we saw during Isabel,” he said, referring to a September 2003 storm that affected the area. “But we’re still in pretty good shape.”

In a press conference early Friday afternoon, Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell was urging those who had been ordered to evacuate to do so. He issued an executive order Thursday that allowed localities to order mandatory evacuations that require residents to leave under threat of criminal prosecution.

“It is very important people heed the warnings and do it now,” McDonnell said.

He also activated the Virginia National Guard and declared a state of emergency.

“This is a dangerous storm,” he said. “There are wide swaths of Virginia that will be experiencing hurricane-force winds.”

Bridges and tunnels were expected to close early Saturday.

The city of Suffolk has designated the three high schools as emergency shelters. They will open at 8 p.m. tonight. All shelters are ADA complaint. Lakeland and Nansemond River have generator power for emergency lighting and to support the kitchens. King’s Fork is fully generator powered.

Citizens are responsible for their own personal comfort and needs while at the shelter. They should bring identification, important documents and phone numbers, hygiene products, food and beverages that do not require cooking, changes of clothes, medications and other supplies.

The pet-friendly shelter at Nansemond River will accept dogs and cats only. Owners must stay with their pets. Exotic, sick, contagious or aggressive animals will not be accepted. Food will be supplied by Suffolk Animal Control. Prescription diets must be provided by the owner. Owners must bring medications and proof of current rabies vaccine. All dogs must have collars.

The Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge closed at 5 p.m. Thursday and will not reopen until after refuge managers and fire officials are able to assess the storm’s effects on the fire and the refuge as a whole. Firefighters spent most of Friday removing the pumping system set up to suck water from Lake Drummond and flood the swamp.