NEW York governor Andrew Cuomo has declared a state of emergency to prepare for the potential impact of Hurricane Irene, which could hit the state this weekend.

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.

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.