The second event of the FedEx Cup play-off series was bracing itself today for the possibility of disruption caused by Hurricane Earl.

The last ferry left for the mainland and residents took shelter as Hurricane Earl closed in on North Carolina’s dangerously exposed Outer Banks today with 105mph winds.

President Obama declared an emergency in one state today as Hurricane Earl headed towards the US east coast with winds at around 145 mph.

Around 30,000 residents and visitors were ordered to evacuate a US island today as Hurricane Earl approached.

POWERFUL Hurricane Earl wheeled toward the East Coast, driving the first tourists yesterday from North Carolina vacation islands and threatening damaging winds and waves up the Atlantic seaboard over Labour Day weekend.

Tourists on a holiday island in North Carolina were ordered to board ferries and head for the mainland today as Hurricane Earl threatened to sideswipe the US East Coast.

A powerful Hurricane Earl threatened to lash much of America’s East Coast, forcing Labour Day holidaymakers to rethink spending the traditional last week of summer at the beach.

Federal officials urged US residents to prepare for possible evacuations today while people in the Turks and Caicos Islands hunkered down in their homes as powerful Hurricane Earl howled over open seas toward the East Coast of the US.

Hurricane Earl battered tiny islands across the north-eastern Caribbean with heavy rain and roof-ripping winds as it rapidly intensified into a major Category 4 storm and threatening the US.

A still-growing hurricane lashed a large area of the Caribbean today, wrecking homes and sending tourists rushing for shelter.