09-01-2010, 07:08 AM
as of wednesday morning...
you can't force locals to evacuate, but in florida we would go take a census of those who refused to leave barrier islands so we knew whose bodies to look for later.
Cape Cod and Island residents and tourists are advised to create a plan to evacuate the area if that becomes necessary.
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Tourists on a North Carolina vacation destination island were ordered to board the ferries and head for the mainland Wednesday and more evacuations could be on the way as powerful Hurricane Earl threatened to sideswipe the East Coast.
Hyde County emergency officials said the evacuation of Ocracoke Island starts at 5 a.m. for about 5,000 visitors. The 800 or so year-round residents don't have to heed it, but Emergency Services Director Lindsey Mooney said officials hope they'll follow tourists on the 2 1⁄2 hour trip to shore.
"I don't remember the last time there was a mandatory evacuation order for the island," Hyde County Commissioner Kenneth Collier said.
More evacuations along the Eastern Seaboard could follow, depending on the path taken by the storm, which weakened to a Category 3 hurricane early Wednesday as it whipped across the Caribbean with winds of 125 mph.
Earl was expected to remain over the open ocean before turning north and running parallel to the East Coast, bringing high winds and heavy rain to North Carolina's Outer Banks by late Thursday or early Friday. From there, forecasters said, it could curve away from the coast somewhat as it makes it way north, perhaps hitting Massachusetts' CAPE COD and the Maine shoreline on Friday night and Saturday.
you can't force locals to evacuate, but in florida we would go take a census of those who refused to leave barrier islands so we knew whose bodies to look for later.
Cape Cod and Island residents and tourists are advised to create a plan to evacuate the area if that becomes necessary.
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Tourists on a North Carolina vacation destination island were ordered to board the ferries and head for the mainland Wednesday and more evacuations could be on the way as powerful Hurricane Earl threatened to sideswipe the East Coast.
Hyde County emergency officials said the evacuation of Ocracoke Island starts at 5 a.m. for about 5,000 visitors. The 800 or so year-round residents don't have to heed it, but Emergency Services Director Lindsey Mooney said officials hope they'll follow tourists on the 2 1⁄2 hour trip to shore.
"I don't remember the last time there was a mandatory evacuation order for the island," Hyde County Commissioner Kenneth Collier said.
More evacuations along the Eastern Seaboard could follow, depending on the path taken by the storm, which weakened to a Category 3 hurricane early Wednesday as it whipped across the Caribbean with winds of 125 mph.
Earl was expected to remain over the open ocean before turning north and running parallel to the East Coast, bringing high winds and heavy rain to North Carolina's Outer Banks by late Thursday or early Friday. From there, forecasters said, it could curve away from the coast somewhat as it makes it way north, perhaps hitting Massachusetts' CAPE COD and the Maine shoreline on Friday night and Saturday.