US east coast bracing for Isabel's arrival

Residents up and down the US east coast boarded up windows and the military ordered ships and planes out of harm’s way as Hurricane Isabel headed toward land with 120mph winds.

Forecasters said Isabel could hit anywhere from North Carolina to New Jersey late Thursday or early Friday.

Even though the storm was still at least three days away, coastal residents and military installations were already taking precautions.

Vice Admiral Gary Roughead, commander of the US Second Fleet, ordered 40 ships and submarines based in the Norfolk, Virginia, area to head to sea today to avoid being battered against piers by high winds.

Around 30 vessels, including two aircraft carriers, that cannot be moved were “being battened down as tight as possible, tightening all the hatches”, said Lieutenant Scott McIlnay, a US Navy spokesman.

Also today, the US Air Force will fly about 60 planes from Langley Air Force Base in Hampton to Grissom Air Force Base in Indiana, said Captain Jeff Glenn, spokesman for the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley.

Virginia Governor Mark Warner declared a state of emergency, putting national guardsmen, state police and transportation crews on full alert.

At Taylor’s Do-It Centre hardware store in Norfolk, Virginia, assistant manager George Wolf said he was swamped with customers as soon as the doors opened at 8am, and large batteries and flashlights were sold out.

“You would have thought we were giving stuff away,” Mr Wolf said. “I just sold my last 30 sheets of plywood.”

Stevens Hardware in Annapolis, Maryland, ran out of batteries, flashlights, lamp oil, tape, camping lamps, can openers, plastic sheeting and candles before noon yesterday, said manager Mike Stevens.

“A lot of people are calling for generators. I don’t think there’s a generator in Annapolis to be bought,” he said.

Officials in Baltimore cancelled leave for police, fire, transportation and public works departments.

“Right now we are preparing ... as if the storm is coming right at us,” Mayor Martin O’Malley said.

At 4am Irish time today, Isabel was centred about 710 miles south east of Cape Hatteras, and was moving north west at about 7mph.

Isabel weakened yesterday to a Category 3 storm with sustained wind blowing at 120mph with higher gusts, the Miami-based National Hurricane Centre said. On Sunday, Isabel’s top wind hit 160mph, making it a Category 5 storm.

“It has been weakening,” said Eric Blake, a meteorologist with the Miami-based centre. “That’s good for the people of the east coast, but by no means should anyone let their guard down.

Hurricanes are notorious for gaining strength as they cross the Gulfstream. Even if it weakens to a Category 2 hurricane, there’s still a lot of potential for danger.”

Isabel is the first major hurricane to threaten the mid-Atlantic since Floyd wreaked havoc on the east coast in September 1999, leading to 56 deaths.