NORWICH – Weather experts and emergency management officials are unsure how big of an impact Hurricane Irene will have on the Southern Tier, but they are preparing for every contingency.

Chenango could be feeling the leading edge of the slow-moving tropical storm system as early as Saturday evening. According to Emergency Management Officer Matt Beckwith, that’s when the first rain from the hurricane is expected to reach the region. The rain and wind associated with the storm will pick up into Sunday, peaking in the afternoon or evening, he explained. By Monday, it will have departed the region.

But just how much rain and wind, as well as the potential for power outages and flooding, depends on whether Hurricane Irene veers to the Northeast, or continues in a more northward direction.

According to Beckwith, the current forecast calls for 1 to 3 inches of rain, with greater rainfall in some individual areas. Sustained winds of 20 to 30 miles an hour are expected, with gusts up to 40 and 50 miles during the height of the storm.