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Hurricane Earl is spiraling onto the East Coast, forcing tourists and residents to leave. Visitors to the popular North Carolina vacation areas have been forced to cut short their visits, and the bad weather from the storm is expected to continue through the Labor Day weekend.
Governor Bob McDonnell of Virginia has declared a state of emergency in his state in anticipation of the expected storm surge that will wreak havoc with their coast. If Hurricane Earl’s path continues as it has been tracking, it will still be a level 3 when it hits the East Coast along the Carolinas, extending the stormy weather as far as Long Island and Cape Cod.
Official evacuation orders have been orders for tourists and residents of Ocracoke Island in North Carolina. The National Hurricane center issued a hurricane warning this morning, which resulted in mandatory evacuation orders for visitors to Hatteras Island as well.
The timing has frustrated the many business owners in the area who rely on tourism dollars over the long Labor Day weekend to give a boon to business. This year in particular the Labor Day tourist traffic was being counted on to help make up for lackluster tourism throughout the summer.
The National Hurricane Center has warned that people as far up the coast as Maine should be watching the development and movement of the storm carefully, as it may continue traveling up the coast.
FEMA already has teams ready to respond in North Carolina. Even if the storm does not hit directly, the damage from the waves and rip tides could cause enormous damage to the area. The Caribbean has already felt the wrath of Hurricane Earl, as it moved through over the first part of the week knocking down power lines and sending hundreds to seek refuge in shelters.
Officials are encouraging people along the coast to make sure they have plenty of water and food supplies on hand, as well as candles, to prepare for the onset of the storm.
Shadra Bruce is a contributing writer for News By The Second
