CHUCK LIDDY - chuck.liddy@newsobserver.com
N.C. 12 northbound on Pea Island was bumper to bumper as a mandatory evacuation order was issued in the advance of Hurricane Earl. Hundreds of visitors cut their vacations short as the storm churned towards the Outer Banks.
State and local governments moved to protect the North Carolina coast's most vulnerable people Wednesday, announcing evacuations and school closings as Hurricane Earl swept toward the Outer Banks.
Carteret County has ordered a mandatory evacuation for residents of the Bogue Banks, which includes the communities of Atlantic Beach, Pine Knoll Shores, Indian Beach and Emerald Isle, effective at 5 a.m. Thursday.
In addition, county officials said those living in low-lying areas, medically fragile persons and those living in manufactured and other fragile housing should also
evacuate.
The storm is forecast to stay at sea, passing about 80 miles east of Cape Hatteras late Thursday or early Friday. Even at that distance, Earl, now a Category 4 storm - up from Category 3 earlier in the day - with sustained winds of about 135 mph, will be powerful enough to cause a 1- to 2-foot storm surge along the oceanfront early Friday, and send 70- to 80-mph winds across the Outer Banks.
If the storm turns slightly west, coming closer to shore, conditions could get markedly worse. The hurricane warning extends from Emerald Isle north to the Virginia border, including all of the Outer Banks. A tropical storm warning was issued for the coast from Emerald Isle south of the mouth of the Cape Fear River.
Gov. Bev Perdue declared a state of emergency this afternoon in advance of the storm's arrival. In an executive order, Perdue called on all state and local government agencies to put the state's emergency operations plan into effect. The declaration is the first step in seeking federal money to pay for debris clearing, emergency utility restoration and other damages after a disaster.
Visitors and some residents are leaving Ocracoke and Hatteras islands today to avoid the possibility of becoming stranded. Dare County emergency officials ordered the evacuation of visitors from both islands this morning.
"I'm just about to close," said Katie Oden, who runs the Seagull Motel in Hatteras Village. All her customers had left by 11 a.m., and she was trying to decide whether to go herself.
"The people who live out here, about a third are staying, a third are leaving and a third don't know," Oden said. She was inclined to go, she said, because she has plans to travel with her sister to Portugal in a little over a week and doesn't want to take a chance on missing the trip if N.C. 12 off the island gets washed out by Earl.
"I packed my bags last night, just in case," she said. "But it's hard to decide. Once you leave, it's an ordeal to get back. But if you stay, and the road goes out, you have to stay for the duration."
Swimming has been prohibited at some ocean beaches; red flags are flying at all beaches in Dare and Currituck counties.
Now, Hatteras Island residents must leave, too.
Hours after visitors were ordered to evacuate, Dare County officials ordered residents to leave the island Wednesday evening.
The evacuation does not apply to towns north of Oregon Inlet, from Nags Head north to Carova Beach.
Currituck County officials are discussing whether to evacuate the community of Corova, whose 800 homes are reachable only by 4-wheel-drive vehicles via the beach. About 100 people live in the community year-round.
Carteret County officials are discussing the possible evacuation of its barrier island communities, from Emerald Isle to Atlantic Beach.
State emergency officials suggest that residents evacuating Ocracoke and Hatteras islands because of Hurricane Earl register with the American Red Cross “Safe and Well” program to ensure that friends and family know their plans.
The website is https://safeandwell.communityos.org/cms/.
Pitt County has opened an emergency shelter at North Pitt High School in Bethel for those who need a place to stay until the storm passes.
Though skies are still clear, seas are already choppy along the Outer Banks and rip currents have been observed.
Conditions are expected to deteriorate quickly on Thursday as Earl approaches. Winds will increase and heavy rain is expected along the coast, with 2 inches or more of rain expected in some areas. Seas are expected to run as high as 25 feet offshore.
By Friday evening, however, skies are expected to clear. Forecasters say a cold front will bring more fallish temperatures to the state over the weekend.
Behind Earl, Tropical Storm Fiona is expected to move through the Atlantic on a track further east. It is not expected to affect the N.C. coast.
A ninth tropical depression formed this morning. If could become a tropical storm, to be named Gaston, within a day or so, according to Bill Read, director of the National Hurricane Center.
