City Manager Patrick Roberts has declared a state of emergency for the city of Suffolk effective at noon Tuesday.

The city sent out a release with a message from Roberts that highlighted the responsibility of safety is shared between the city and its residents.

“While we are making every possible effort to ensure the safe passage on our roadways, mitigate the amount of possible flooding, and make certain that our well-trained emergency first responders have all the necessary tools to perform their jobs – we know that there is much that is out of our control as it relates to potential storm damage and its impact on our city and citizens,” Roberts said in a release.

While Suffolk is not on the coast, there is still plenty of waterways within the city, and the chance for flooding is just as likely in Suffolk as it is at the Oceanfront. Roberts stressed being aware of the flood zone associated with citizens’ homes.

Information about what zone homes are in can be found at www.knowyourzoneva.org.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam issued a mandatory evacuation notice for Zone A, and because of the impact to 599 residential addresses and 91 non-residential addresses, two emergency shelters will be opened for as a last resort at 8 p.m. Sept. 12.

King’s Fork High School, 351 Kings Fork Road, and Nansemond River High School, 3301 Nansemond Pkwy., will serve as emergency shelters. King’s Fork will be fully powered by a generated for citizens who are medically dependent on electricity. Nansemond River will only have generator power for emergency lighting and to support the kitchen freezers. Nansemond River will also be pet-friendly.

While these shelters are available, Roberts wants citizens to find safer options as soon as possible.

“Take all necessary steps to prepare for this emergency weather situation. Once the storm hits, it’s too late. Evacuate immediately if told to do so by authorities. Stay tuned to local news to track the storm coverage and visit the city’s website and click on the Hurricane button at the top of the page for the most current information. Alert family and friends of your situation and whereabouts. Your safety is our top priority,” Roberts said.