States of emergency – Hurricane Earl

States of emergency were declared in North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland amid fears the Category 4 storm could become the most powerful hurricane in almost two decades.
Earl was expected to reach the eastern coastline in the early hours of this morning, battering North Carolina with high winds and heavy rains likely to cause dangerous floods.
More than 35,000 people were evacuated from the Hatteras and Ocracoke islands in Outer Banks as the strongest storm of the year descended on America’s east coast.

Forecasters warned that the potentially deadly storm could move north over the weekend, bringing chaos to America’s Labour Day holiday weekend and cancelling flights.
Millions of beachgoers and surfers who usually head for the beaches during the last weekend of the US summer season were told to keep a close watch on the hurricane’s development.
Warnings were in place up and down the east coast’s popular seaside resorts including Chesapeake Bay and Martha’s Vineyard, where Barack Obama and his family recently holidayed.
A hurricane watch, which means dangerous conditions are possible, was in effect as far north as Maine and the Canadian area of Nova Scotia.

Found on telegraph.co.uk