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Tropical storm Arthur threatens Fourth of July plans along east coast
Tropical storm Arthur threatens Fourth of July plans along east coast
(about 4 hours later)
A hurricane watch was issued for part of North Carolina's coast early Wednesday as tropical storm Arthur moved northward, threatening Fourth of July plans along the east coast.
Along much of the east coast, hotel owners, tourism officials and would-be vacationers kept a watchful eye on forecasts Wednesday as tropical storm Arthur churned off Florida, threatening Fourth of July plans for thousands of people.
The hurricane watch in North Carolina covers an area from Bogue Inlet to Oregon Inlet, including Pamlico Sound. A tropical storm watch was in effect for parts of Florida and South Carolina.
A tropical storm warning was issued for parts of North Carolina as the first named storm of the season was expected to strengthen to a hurricane and skim the Outer Banks, a string of narrow barrier islands prone to flooding but popular for beachgoers, as a category one hurricane Friday.
The storm's maximum sustained winds early Wednesday were near 60mph (95kph). The National Hurricane Center said Arthur was expected to strengthen and become a hurricane by Thursday.
Wednesday's warning stretched across the entire North Carolina coast, from Little River Inlet near South Carolina north to the Virginia border.
With the July Fourth weekend on the horizon, the Atlantic hurricane season's first named storm plodded off Florida's coast but wasn't yet spooking too many in the storm's potential path.
A tropical storm watch for Florida's east coast was canceled.
"I think everybody's keeping one eye on the weather and one eye on the events this weekend," said Joe Marinelli, president of Visit Savannah, the city's tourism bureau.
The worst of the storm should occur at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about dawn Friday, with 3 to 5 inches of rain and sustained winds up to 85 mph, said Tony Saavedra, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service. The storm should move through quickly and be off the coast of New England later in the day, perhaps making landfall in Canada's maritime provinces as a tropical storm, he said.
Arthur was centered about 90 miles (145km) east of Cape Canaveral, Florida, early Wednesday and was moving north near 6mph (9kph). The Hurricane Center urged those as far north as parts of Virginia to monitor Tropical Storm Arthur's path.
The motel Shutters on the Banks in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, was completely booked for the holiday weekend, general manager John Zeller said Tuesday, but he was considering waiving cancellation fees if the storm continued to track toward the area.
Off Florida's Space Coast beaches – the closest to Arthur – the sky was cloudy and winds fairly normal Tuesday, said Eisen Witcher, assistant chief of Brevard County Ocean Rescue.
"We have received some cancellations but not too many," he said. "Basically we are telling people to kind of wait and see what happens. ... I think everybody is kind of watching the weather."
Red flags warned of rough surf, and beachgoers were advised to get into the water only in areas with staffed lifeguard stands. But overall, Witcher said, "it's business as usual."
Late Wednesday morning, Arthur was about 105 miles (165km) east-northeast of Cape Canaveral and about 260 miles (420km) south-southeast of Charleston, South Carolina. It was moving north about 7 mph (11kph) with maximum sustained winds of 6 mph (95 kph).
Red flags also flew Tuesday at Daytona Beach. By midday, a dozen swimmers had been aided by lifeguards when they got caught in a rip current. On any given day, 15 to 20 swimmers need help, said Tammy Marris, spokeswoman for the Volusia County beach patrol.
About an hour north of Cape Canaveral, the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort's holiday reservations were unaffected by the storm, general manager Tom Manno said.
Near the storm, 19 ill crew members were evacuated from a South Korean cargo ship after they showed signs of food poisoning. The cargo ship JS Comet was anchored 3 miles off Cape Canaveral, and the Coast Guard reported that deteriorating weather conditions were one factor in the decision to evacuate.
"In fact we're sold out right through Sunday," he said. "So we haven't experienced any cancellations at all."
In North Carolina's Outer Banks, officials said they would close Cape Lookout National Seashore at 5pm on Wednesday and reopen when it's safe.
But some precautions were taken at the hotel.
The motel Shutters on the Banks was completely booked for the holiday weekend, general manager John Zeller said, despite forecasts for potentially heavy rain, gusty winds and isolated tornadoes late Thursday and Friday.
"We've gone through all the emergency procedures, the staff is confident, and everything is in place," Manno said. "Right now the weather is good, the winds are pretty calm, and we're hoping it will remain that way."
"We have received some cancellations but not too many," he said. "Basically we are telling people to kind of wait and see what happens."
On Florida's Gulf Coast, the National Weather Service says dry air rotating around Arthur reduced rain chances in the Tampa Bay area. But as the storm moves north, the rain chances will return — just in time for the holiday weekend.
The motel has a 72-hour advance notice on cancellations, but Zeller said it will be waived if the storm tracks toward the area or warnings are issued.
On Hilton Head Island, on South Carolina's southern tip, there was little concern about Arthur — the storm was forecast to pass the island on Thursday well out at sea.
In Folly Beach, South Carolina, dozens of people fished from the pier under sunny skies Tuesday. Others surfed on gentle swells, sunbathed and looked for shells.
"It's a very busy week on Hilton Head Island. ... It will be a sold-out weekend," said Charlie Clark, a spokeswoman for the Hilton Head Island Chamber of Commerce. "We're expecting a strong weekend and we're not getting calls from visitors asking what's up with this storm."
In Savannah, rooms in the downtown historic district were expected to be at least 80% full for the holiday weekend, when crowds pack the beach on neighboring Tybee Island.
Cancellations aren't uncommon when storms approach, but those calls weren't coming in Tuesday, Marinelli said.
Amy Gaster said her Tybee Island vacation rental company had more than 200 beach homes and condos booked for the weekend, likely to be the busiest of the year. If forecasts start to show a serious threat, Gaster said her staff was prepared to send alerts to guests' cellphones.
But as long as Arthur stays offshore, she said her biggest concerns are rip currents and possible thundershowers on Thursday, when thousands are expected to pack the Georgia coast's largest public beach for fireworks.
"Hopefully Mother Nature is going to cooperate with us this year," Gaster said.
