Gov. Ned Lamont announced Friday that he is declaring a state of emergency ahead of Henri as the storm barrels toward the region.

Lamont says he's also requesting a presidential pre-landfall emergency declaration to provide the state with federal assistance in anticipation of Henri's impacts.

LIVE UPDATES: Tracking Henri

Power center: Electric outage resources

The Connecticut State Emergency Operations Center will be partially activated Saturday and fully activated by Sunday morning.

The commander of the Connecticut National Guard has called 200 guardsmen and women to active duty beginning Saturday morning.

They are expected to help with vehicle search and rescue, route clearance and power generation.

Power center: Electric outage resources

Lamont also spoke with FEMA officials Friday on preparedness efforts.

"With the current forecasted track of Henri, we can expect heavy rainfall and high winds, with the potential for a significant amount of coastal flooding and urban flooding across Connecticut," Lamont said. "Right now, it's a good idea for everyone to be prepared and expect to shelter in place by Sunday afternoon through at least Monday morning. We'll continue to monitor the storm's progress and will provide updates as necessary."

Lamont will be returning to Connecticut from Maine to coordinate storm response in person.