Hurricane Ophelia weakened slightly and slowed to a crawl today along North Carolina’s Outer Banks, giving the fragile barrier islands a prolonged soaking even as it appeared the storm had not caused severe inland flooding.

HURRICANE Ophelia hovered off the coast of the south-eastern US yesterday and could hit North Carolina later in the week, forecasters said.

MORE THAN 75,000 residents and visitors were urged to evacuate the North Carolina coast yesterday as Hurricane Isabel weakened but remained a dangerous storm on a track toward land.