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Hurricane Earl, a Category 4 storm, is approaching the US East Coast with wind bands extending 200 miles from the eye. Follow the latest updates on this powerful hurricane.
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HURRICANE EARL Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, University of North Carolina, USA
HURRICANE EARL BECOMES A CAT 4 STORM AGAIN AS IT HEADS TOWARDS THE EAST COAST OF USA WIND BANDS EXTEND 200 MI FROM EYE AUGUST 29 – SEPTEMBER 4, 2010
ATLANTIC BASIN TROPICAL STORMS AND HURRICANES: 2010 • Alex (H) June 21 • Bonnie July 27 • Colin Aug 3 • Danielle (H) Aug 21 • Earl (H) Aug.29 • Fiona Aug 30
ATLANTIC BASIN TROPICAL STORMS AND HURRICANES: 2010 • Gaston Sept 1 • Hermine (Pending) • Igor (Pending) • Julia (Pending) • Karl (Pending) • Lisa (Pending)
HURRICANE EARL Starting in 1980, the name, “Earl,” has been used in six Atlantic tropical storm seasons.
Hurricane Earl grew to a Category 4 storm with 5-10 inches of rain and 135 mph winds on Monday, tearing roofs off buildings and cutting power along a path that included Anguilla, Antigua, Barbuda, St. Martin/St. Maarten,Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, on a likely course towards the eastern USA.
More than 100,000 people were left without power in Puerto Rico.
Schools and government offices, were closed on Monday and Tuesday.
The U.S. Virgin Islands imposed a curfew from 6 p.m. Monday to 5:30 a.m. Tuesday for the islands of St. Thomas and St. John.
Airline flights were cancelled throughout the area and cruise lines diverted ships to other ports in the Caribbean and Mexico, customary precautionary measures.
On August 30th , the National Hurricane Center announced the formation of Tropical Storm Fiona.
SEPTEMBER 1 • On Wednesday morning, September 1, Hurricane Earl diminished to a very large CAT 3 storm with winds of 125 mph and wind bands extending 200 miles radially from the eye..
SEPTEMBER 1 • Later during the day, Hurricane Earl strengthened again to a huge CAT 4 storm. .
HURRICANE WATCHES AND WARNINGS • The National Hurricane Center has hurricane watches and warnings in effect from Cape Hatteras (North Carolina) to Cape Cod (Massachusetts) to Long Island (New York).
Under the current forecast for Earl, the Cape Hatteras, NC, area is at highest risk on Friday morning, September 3rd, and the Massachusetts' Cape Cod and the Maine shorelineon Friday night and Saturday morning..
Cape Hatteras and other parts of NC’s barrier islands are expected to face huge waves, beach erosion, up to 6 inches of rain, and property damage overnight..
Cape Cod, Nantucket, Long Island, and Rhode Island will face a similar scenario as North Carolina, except it will be worse in some ways because the storm and its rain bands and wind bands will spread out as it moves north into New England and Atlantic Canada..
On September 1st, the National Hurricane Center announced the formation of Tropical Storm Gaston.
SEPTEMBER 2 GOOD NEWS: The storm takes a turn to the north and decays to a CAT 2 hurricane
SEPTEMBER 3 Earl races towards New England. President declares state-of-emergency in Massachusets