Ferries take people off NC island ahead of Hurricane Earl
Officials hope the 800 or so local residents will follow tourists off the island before the hurricane hits.
By Associated PressWed, Sep 01 2010 at 8:10 AM EST
STORMY WEATHER AHEAD: Hurricane Earl, now a powerful Category 4 storm, is barreling toward the U.S. coast after battering tiny islands across the northeastern Caribbean with heavy rain and winds that damaged homes and toppled power lines. (Photo: NOAA/AP)
Ferries are taking people off an island on North Carolina's Outer Banks as powerful Hurricane Earl heads toward the United States.
North Carolina Emergency Management Department officials say two ferries began making the 2 1/2-hour trip to the mainland shortly after 6 a.m. Wednesday.
Hyde County spokeswoman Jamie Tunnell says about 30 cars and trucks pulling campers were waiting in line for the first ferry before 6 a.m.
Emergency Services Director Lindsey Mooney says officials hope the 800 or so local residents will follow tourists off the island.
Megan Aldridge at the Ocracoke Harbor Inn says guests in eight rooms were leaving and she expected those in the other seven occupied rooms to leave as well.
Copyright 2010 AP News
CLOSE
link:
link:
