The Associated Press
RALEIGH —
Town officials, emergency planners and hardware stores along North Carolina’s coast planned Monday for Hurricane Earl in hopes that the storm will deliver no more than a glancing blow as it travels north.
Most of the preparations are in the preliminary stages: generators are being tested, gas tanks are being topped off and weather forecasts are being pored over for any indication that Earl, which reached Category 4 strength on Monday, will come any closer than several hundred miles off the state’s coast.
“Nothing we’ve seen yet is showing it will make landfall, so we’re preparing for rain and heavy surf right now,” said Chris Layton, town manager of Duck.
The Outer Banks, the fragile chain of barrier islands where Duck is located, is expected to get the brunt of any weather and ocean conditions churned up by Earl, ranging from rip currents to heavy rain.
In Duck and Nags Head, town officials were out videotaping their beaches Monday in case the storm causes significant erosion. Having before-and-after records of what beaches look like helps with storm recovery, especially if disaster relief funding is available.
In Nags Head, officials were also making sure the gas tanks of storm trucks, which rescue people in the event of flooding and help emergency crews get around in the aftermath of a storm, are full and that generators that can power town offices are in working order.
“It’s way too early to take in lifeguard stands and things like that, but obviously we’re watching the storm,” Nags Head spokeswoman Roberta Thuman said.
That wait-and-see approach also prevailed among customers at the six Ace Hardware stores in the Outer Banks, according to operations manager Kathy Seko, who was at the Manteo store on Monday.
“So far, it’s mostly been people making inquiries about what we have and what they might need if it gets worse,” Seko said.
Along with the standard supplies – tarp, duct tape, batteries, screws and drills for plywood – Seko said she is reminding customers not to forget items like manual can openers and even art supplies.
“Waiting for a storm can seem like forever, especially if the power’s out,” she said. “You need to pass the time somehow.”
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Earl, which formed Sunday, has sustained winds of 135 mph (215 kph), and will likely gain strength. One potential track has the storm moving roughly parallel to the East Coast, possibly brushing North Carolina Thursday or Friday.
Officials at Cape Lookout National Seashore are taking no chances, ordering an evacuation of visitors on the islands, and closing the park starting Wednesday.
The seashore, 56 miles of undeveloped beach stretching over four barrier islands about three miles off the coast of North Carolina, is accessible only by boat.
Farther north, Cape Hatteras National Seashore officials are still watching the hurricane’s path before making any decisions, spokeswoman Cyndy Holda said.
If the current forecast proves true, Earl will brush North Carolina at the start of a holiday weekend, complicating plans for one last summer fling.
“We’re not planning on an evacuation, but the red flags will probably be on the beach, meaning people have to stay out of the ocean,” said Currituck County Emergency Management Director Mary Beth Newns.
There aren’t many signs yet that Earl is causing people to cancel plans, though, according to Greg Hamby, co-owner of the Cypress Moon Inn bed and breakfast in Kitty Hawk.
“Nobody’s called us to say they’re scared of it,” he said. “By the weekend this thing should be gone.”
Hamby, who also surfs, said there’s even a potential perk in the big waves predicted by the forecasters.
“All the surfers are jazzed,” he said.
