NATCHEZ — Emergency officials say Adams County is more likely to offer help after Tropical Storm Ida than receive it.

The storm was expected to make landfall near the Mississippi/Alabama border at approximately 6 a.m. today.

Director of Adams County Emergency Management Stan Owens said the Miss-Lou won’t see much in the way of wind and rains. But coastal areas could experience winds up to 70 mph — a speed Owens said was likely to cause power outages and blow down trees.

Meteorologist Ariel Cohen, who works at the National Weather Service’s Jackson office, said while residents of the Mississippi and Alabama coastlines will be experiencing flash flood watches and high powered winds, residents of the Miss-Lou will be seeing partly cloudy skies with gusty winds between 10 to 20 mph today.

The highest wind speed Cohen said the area will experience will be near the 30-mph range.

“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.

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

Adams County emergency workers agreed to keep an eye on the storm and are prepared to open shelters if they are needed.

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