The track of Hurricane Irma looked better for Hampton Roads throughout Thursday, as the National Hurricane Center forecast the storm would take a more westerly, inland track.

However, Suffolk may still get some wind and rain, perhaps Tuesday, said National Weather Service Wakefield meteorologist James Foster.

“It’s really hard to say right now, because the track seems to change almost with every cycle,” he said. “Right now it looks like it might take a track that’s sort of to the west once it moves into South Carolina, but who knows what the final track will be.”

The Category 5 storm spent Wednesday and Thursday lashing the Caribbean, including popular vacation spots like St. Martin and Barbuda. It was predicted to slam Florida and travel up the peninsula into Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee through Tuesday.

“It looks like roughly in the Tuesday time frame when we should get some impact from the system itself,” Foster said on Thursday. “That is subject to change. We’re anticipating we’ll probably get some wind and a lot of rain.”

Suffolk Fire & Rescue Deputy Chief Brian Spicer gave a report to City Council on Wednesday evening about the hurricane.

“It is forecast to remain and very strong and a very dangerous hurricane as it approaches the United States,” Spicer said.

He urged people not to focus on the forecast track, as that only tells where the center of the storm is likely to be. Effects of the storm extend for hundreds of miles away from the center.

“Don’t get too caught up in the centerline of the forecast,” he said.

City department heads met at the Emergency Operations Center at the King’s Fork fire station last Friday to prepare for the storm, Spicer said.

Although Irma looks to be less serious than it could have been for Hampton Roads, Spicer said it’s important not to get complacent as the peak of hurricane season approaches.

“It is pretty active out there,” he said. “The key message is just to be prepared and be informed.”

City spokeswoman Diana Klink said department heads met again Thursday at the Emergency Operations Center, joined by representatives from other agencies such as Suffolk Public Schools, the health department and the American Red Cross. Conference calls were also scheduled over the weekend, she said.

Klink encouraged citizens to connect with the city on Facebook, Twitter, NextDoor, the city’s website and the Suffolk Municipal Channel to learn about storm related information.

In addition, citizens can sign up for Suffolk on the Alert at suffolk.onthealert.com to get information.

“We encourage residents to utilize one or more of these platforms to stay informed as to any updates from the city of Suffolk and Suffolk Emergency Management during this pending weather event,” Klink stated in an email.