Hurricane Earl Moves Along US East Coast

31 August 2010

A NASA image shows Hurricane Earl - now a powerful Category 4 storm - as it passes over the Leeward Islands and barrels toward the US coast, 31 Aug 2010

Weather officials said Hurricane Earl was moving northward off the U.S. coast, after skirting parts of the eastern Caribbean this week, and that residents in low-lying areas should be prepared to evacuate if needed.

Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami said they are closely watching the storm for signs that it will remain in open waters, or turn west and impact the U.S. coastline. They said the outer fringes of the category four storm are expected to reach the barrier islands of North Carolina by Friday.

National Hurricane Center Director Bill Reed said the storm should continue to produce very dangerous conditions in Atlantic waters as it moves north.

"We are going to have an impact in the way of dangerous swells and surf, rip currents and beach erosion as the storm moves up the coast," said Reed. "Even a minor shift back to the west could bring direct impacts to portions of the coastline from the mid-Atlantic northward."

Emergency officials said residents in low-lying coastal areas from North Carolina to Maine should be prepared for possible evacuations in coming days. They said residents should monitor local weather officials, who may begin issuing storm warnings as Earl moves closer to the U.S. mainland.