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Hurricane Earl prompts US East Coast evacuations

2nd September 2010 Evacuations have begun in areas of the US East Coast likely to be hit by Hurricane Earl.

A hurricane warning has been issued for the east coast of the US from Bogue Inlet, North Carolina north-eastward to the North Carolina/Virginia border, including the Pamlico and Albemarle sounds.

The hurricane has strengthened to a category four storm again, generating sustained winds of 215km/h (135mph).

President Barack Obama said officials needed to be ready for a "worst case" scenario in a call to the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema).

The US National Hurricane Advisory Centre has issued the following bulletin for Hurricane Earl.

Winds
Tropical storm force winds are expected to reach the North Carolina coast within the warning area by this afternoon with hurricane force winds occurring by Thursday night. Tropical storm force winds will likely reach the coast from Virginia northward to New Jersey by late Thursday night or early Friday.

Storm surge
A dangerous storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 3 to 5 feet above ground level within the hurricane warning area and the lower Chesapeake Bay. Elsewhere within the tropical storm warning area storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 1 to 3 feet above ground level. Near the coast the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.

Rainfall
Accumulations of 2 to 4 inches...with isolated maximum amounts of 6 inches...are expected over portions of eastern North Carolina including the outer banks. Accumulations of 1 to 2 inches are possible farther to the north along the immediate Mid-Atlantic coast.

Surf
Large swells from Hurricane Earl will continue to affect the Bahamas and the East Coast of the United States through Friday. These swells will likely cause dangerous surf conditions and rip currents.

Further Information:
US National Hurricane Centre
BBC News

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