| Boston Globe | - |
RODANTHE,
N.C. - Hurricane Arthur gained strength in the Atlantic on Thursday and
threatened to strike near the North Carolina coast on Independence Day,
prompting thousands of vacationers and residents to leave parts of the
state's popular but ...
Hurricane Arthur could speed up to Category 2 storm
Mark Wilson/Getty Images
Bill Kirk of Ashland, Ky., took one last look at the ocean in
front of the beach house he rented, before complying with the mandatory
evacuation orders for Hatteras Island on Thursday.Nichole Specht, 27, and Ryan Witman, 28, had pre-loaded their Honda CRV and left Hatteras Island at 3:30 a.m. Thursday, beating the expected traffic jam. The island was under an evacuation order, with no traffic allowed in. Officials asked an estimated 35,000 residents and travelers to leave through North Carolina Highway 12, the only road on and off Hatteras.
Specht and Witman found the road wide open for their return home to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Specht said her parents left their rental later, at 5 a.m., and also found clear sailing.
RELATED: Boston’s Fourth of July festivities set for Thursday
Forecasters expect Arthur to speed up to a Category 2 storm and pass over or near the Outer Banks — a 200-mile string of narrow barrier islands with about 57,000 permanent residents — early Friday, bringing rain, heavy winds, storm surge and dangerous rip currents. Category 2 hurricanes pack winds of more than 96 mph.
Before the storm hit, tourism officials had expected 250,000 people to travel to the Outer Banks for the holiday weekend. Gov. Pat McCrory sought to strike a balance between a stern warning to vacationers and optimism that part of the busy weekend could be salvaged.
On Wednesday, he warned people: ‘‘Don’t put your stupid hat on.’’
But the next day, even as the storm gathered strength, he said: ‘‘Of course, this holiday weekend, the July 4th weekend, is one of the biggest weekends for coastal tourism in the state, and we anticipate a beautiful weekend after the Tropical Storm Arthur or the Hurricane Arthur is out of North Carolina.’’
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