North Carolina Hurricane Earl Update, Extreme Threat, More Evacuations!

On 10 a.m. Thursday Hurricane Earl is clocked at 145 mph winds. As the Outer Banks braces for Hurricane Earl's dip at 130 mph, the major hurricane remains an extreme threat. Perfect for blazing winds, needle sharp rain, flood action, flashing lightning, and tornado whips.

Hurricane Earl is located 355 miles from North Carolina's Outer Banks as updates roll in through The Weather Channel. Hurricane warnings in effect from Bogue Inlet, N.C. to the N.C.-VA border. More evacuations may be forthcoming, but that remains to be seen.

Who may land on an upcoming evacuation list? Depending upon how Hurricane Earl weakens dictates what's to come. As Hurricane Earl enters across cooler open waters from NC to MA it is expected to lose strength yet still remain a hurricane predicted to be 100 mph by the time of reaching Massachusetts.

Hurricane watches have posted from N.C.-VA border up to Cape Henlopen, DE and from Westport, MA to Plymouth, MA, including Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.

Tuesday meetings set mandatory evacuation that began at 5 a.m. on Wednesday for portions of Dare and all of Hyde Counties (Hatteras and Ocracoke Island). Thursday's mandatory evacuation included northern Dare County, including Kill Devil Hills. Atlantic Beach to Emerald Isle also joins in on this mandatory evacuation beginning at 6 this morning.

Today at noon will be the last Ocracoke ferry attempt in evacuation.

According to News 14 Carolina North Carolina has been declared a state of emergency as Governor Bev Perdue prepares to send in The National Guard, 81 active members, 151 on stand-by. President Barack Obama also set up government emergency assistance in preparations along with re-declaring North Carolina in a state of emergency.

The local radar has located Hurricane Earl's high wind bands. As of 10 a.m. as the bands should slowly edge in, but not close enough to block the sun resulting in a mostly sunny first part of the day. The bands should be hugging the Outer Banks by 2 a.m. early Friday morning. Once Hurricane Earl passes by it heads towards the northern states, including that of New York.

So that's the update. What's next?

Route 12 along the Outer Banks will feel a backlash from Earl. Storm surge is said to be from 3 to 4 feet covering Rt. 12 and other Outer Banks areas. A great display for post-Earl seashell searchers but don't expect to return on Friday. The storm should be lingering off and on throughout the day as it passes by.

Ocracoke will suffer some road damage - it's a given. Boats may be shifted from the docks, if not out to sea. However, it is not known how the businesses or homes will upstand this major hurricane. It may be over the weekend by the time the news of damages reaches the media stream.

The Virginia border should see some Hurricane Earl action. Not to the extent as the Outer Banks. The Outer Banks is the most eastern portion along the eastern seaboard.

The northern states are not expected to be hit head on by Hurricane Earl according to The Weather Channel, but may still come coastline closer than it does with North Carolina's Outer Banks. By the time Earl travels along the eastern seaboard the intensity should be far less than the recent 145 mph winds. Most likely, Earl will still remain a hurricane.

Man-up and prepare. This hurricane may not engulf a state along the eastern seaboard, but it surely could sneak in quite a kisser.

Visit Hurricanes, Tips & Tricks, a seven-page spread in storm preparations.

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Source(s):
http://charlotte.news14.com/content/top_stories/629915/perdue---we-re-ready-
http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/news/articles/tropical-depression-seven-storm-hurricane-earl_2010-08-23
(accessed Sept. 2, 2010)