Visitors and
some residents evacuated from low-lying vacation
islands off the North Carolina coast on Wednesday as
Hurricane Earl bore down on the U.S. eastern
seaboard, churning up dangerous swells.
Earl, still
a major Category 3 hurricane, weakened slightly
overnight but was on a track that could approach the
North Carolina coast by Friday morning, the U.S.
National Hurricane Center said.
Packing top
sustained winds of 125 mph, Earl was churning over
the open Atlantic. The hurricane was expected to
sideswipe the densely populated coast from North
Carolina to New England on a forecast northward
offshore path during the upcoming U.S. Labor Day
holiday weekend marking the end of the summer
vacation season.
This was
expected to bring driving rain, high winds and
pounding surf, but forecasters so far have not
predicted a direct hit on the U.S. East Coast.
North
Carolina's Dare County ordered the mandatory
evacuation of all visitors from Hatteras Island, a
popular picturesque vacation spot that draws large
numbers of tourists each year. Officials said high
waves striking the island could wash over the costal
highway, impeding safe travel.
Vacationers
and residents were also being evacuated from
Ocracoke Island, also on North Carolina's Outer
Banks that jut into the Atlantic Ocean.
At 8 a.m.
EST (1200 GMT), Earl was moving across the Atlantic
well to the east of the Bahamas and was located
about 780 miles south southeast of Cape Hatteras,
North Carolina, the Miami-based National Hurricane
Center said.
"Large
swells from Earl should affect the Bahamas and the
southeastern coast of the United States today
(Wednesday). These swells will likely cause
dangerous surf conditions and rip currents," the
center said.
Hurricane
Earl posed no threat to major U.S. oil and gas
installations in the Gulf of Mexico.
