Red Cross and partners open shelters in Chattanooga, three other Tennessee cities for Irma evacuees

Fort Myers is seen as surf and winds begin to kick up in advance of Hurricane Irma, in Sanibel Island, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017. Irma as turned towards the West coast of Florida and may give the Tampa area its first direct hit from a major hurricane in nearly a century. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Fort Myers is seen as surf and winds begin to kick up in advance of Hurricane Irma, in Sanibel Island, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017. Irma as turned towards the West coast of Florida and may give the Tampa area its first direct hit from a major hurricane in nearly a century. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

By Staff Report September 10, 2017 3 min read

NASHVILLE — Working with local Tennessee partners, the American Red Cross on Sunday opened shelters at five sites across the state, including one at a Chattanooga church, to provide emergency accommodations to evacuees fleeing Hurricane Irma’s wrath, state officials say.

It’s one of a number of steps Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) officials and cooperating state agencies are taking to assist residents fleeing the hurricane, which made landfall earlier Sunday in Florida as a Category 4 event.

State Tourism Department officials, meanwhile, are encouraging evacuees to stop by Tennessee Welcome Centers for a list of available hotel and motel accommodations.

The information is constantly being updated.

Irma is expected to reach Fort Meyers, Fla. Sunday night and move into north Florida Monday morning.