(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency in the commonwealth on Friday as Hurricane Irma approaches.

The action allows the commonwealth to better mobilize its resources before the storm hits, including the Virginia National Guard.

“If there is one lesson we can take from the tragic events that occurred in Texas, it is that we must redouble our preparation efforts,” McAuliffe said in a statement. “The order I issued today is intended to both protect our commonwealth and to make sure we have every option at our disposal to help our neighboring states when Irma makes landfall.”

While the path of Irma, downgraded to a Category 4 hurricane after pummeling islands in the Caribbean, is still uncertain, it’s expected to make landfall in Florida on Saturday night, potentially hitting Miami on Sunday morning. McAuliffe’s statement says it “appears increasingly likely that Virginia will see significant impacts from this record-setting storm,” including flooding, high winds, and the possibility of a storm surge.

He recommends that VIrginians ensure they have flood insurance on their homes, because more than a quarter of the flood damage to homes in the commonwealth occurs outside of a flood plain, and only 4.3 percent of homes outside the floodplain have flood insurance.

The statement also tells residents to assembly an emergency kit, avoid flooded roadways, and learn their hurricane evacuation zones.