Hurricane Earl is currently a category-four storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. Both North Carolina and Virginia declare states of emergencies and evacuations have been ordered (track Hurricane Earl here). Via ABC News:
Earlier, both North Carolina and Virginia have declared states of emergency.
Coastal residents from the Carolinas as far north as Cape Cod are on high alert for Earl, which returned to Category 4 strength this afternoon, packing maximum sustained winds of 135 mph. Earl had been downgraded to Category 3. Officials said they expect “fluctuations” in the storm’s force in the coming days.
No matter the label, Earl is expected to pack a wallop. The National Hurricane Center warned that Earl could send water rising 3 to 5 feet along coastal areas.
With Earl tracking northwest, North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue declared a state of emergency today, and officials have ordered mandatory evacuations in parts of the state. The storm could hit the North Carolina coastline by late Thursday.
The storm, 400 miles wide, is still forecast to skirt the eastern coastline, but state officials worry it could change its mind.
Video credit: ABC News
NASA Satellite Captures Hurricane Earl on September 1, 2010 [HD Video]:
Video credit: NASA/GSFC/GOES/NOAA
Image credit: NOAA’s National Weather Service National Hurricane Center
The infrared satellite shows the “textbook structure of a major hurricane“:
Image credit: Weather.com
Here’s an astronaut’s eye view of Hurricane Earl from Space via NASA (taken August 31, 2010):
Image credit: NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth
NASA Satellite Captures Hurricane Earl on September 1, 2010:
Image credit: NASA/GSFC/GOES/NOAA
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