US residents warned of hurricane evacuation

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.

The Category 4 hurricane, with winds of 135mph, was expected to remain over the ocean before turning north and running parallel to the US coast, potentially reaching the North Carolina coastal region on Thursday or Friday. It was then projected to curve back out to sea, perhaps swiping part of New England or far-eastern Canada.

“We can’t totally rule out a very close approach to either of the Cape Hatteras areas or Cape Cod and southern New England as the storm progresses further,” said Bill Read, director of the US National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Earl delivered a glancing blow to several small Caribbean islands on Monday, tearing roofs off homes and cutting electricity to people in Anguilla, Antigua, and St. Maarten. Cruise ships were diverted and flights cancelled across the region. But there were no reports of death or injury.

Gusty winds from Earl’s outer fringes were whipping palm fronds and whistling through doors as Turks and Caicos Islands residents hunkered down in their homes and tied-down boats rocked on white-crested surf.

Forecasters said it was too early to say what effect Earl would have in the US, but warned it could at least kick up dangerous rip currents. A surfer died in Florida and a Maryland swimmer had been missing since Saturday in waves spawned by former Hurricane Danielle, which weakened to a tropical storm on Monday far out in the north Atlantic.

Craig Fugate, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said evacuations may be necessary along the eastern seaboard later this week if the storm does not veer away from the coast as expected.

“Today is the day to make sure you have your plan completed and your supplies in place,” he said.