The recovery from Hurricane Harvey has barely begun, and there’s a new threat bearing down on the nation.

Hurricane Irma, now a category 3 hurricane, is bearing down on the northeastern Leeward Islands, and in its current path, could be a real threat to Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.

At least, that’s what the Red Cross is saying, and they’re attempting to prepare for such an event.

“We put a hold on sending volunteers from the mid-Atlantic states,” Red Cross Regional Officer Barry Porter said, as reported by CBS affiliate WNCN-TV.

“There is still a lot of other states to send volunteers from, but because of this pending threat to Florida, Georgia, South and North Carolina we’ve asked those volunteers to hold, update their records, and help us here in the Carolina’s if we need them.”

In October 2016 North Carolina was hit hard by Hurricane Matthew, a storm that turned out to be more destructive than anyone actually bargained for.

My community was in the outer bands of the storm and we were still without power and other necessities for three days. I have no desire, whatsoever, to go through that again, and I will be taking Irma far more seriously than I did Matthew, preparing accordingly.

We were fortunate at that time to have an amazing governor in Pat McCrory, who was updating daily, before and after the storm, and did everything right, as far as providing resources and keeping personnel on the ground, even as he was preparing for an election, and his opponent was suggesting that the state had squirreled away too much money for disaster relief, and we should have spent it on other things.

Democrats.

Now that lunatic is governor, so I really hope Irma decides to turn back out to sea before making landfall here.

In the meantime, Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Bahamas, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, the Turks and Caicos, and Hispaniola may all be under immediate threat.

The Red Cross dealt with the aftermath of two hurricanes last in 2004.

“With this East Coast threat of Irma coming late this week we’re really concerned,” Porter said.

And I’ll say this: If you’re in one of the states mentioned, don’t blow this off. Stay informed of Irma’s path. Take steps to prepare, such as filling up your gas tank (painful, due to the current price of gas, caused by Harvey), gas up any generators you may have (maybe purchase one), get ice, coolers, candles, batteries, flashlights, non-perishable food items.

And pray against Irma. We really can’t afford another hit, right now.