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Hurricane Arthur makes landfall in North Carolina as residents evacuate Hurricane Arthur makes landfall in North Carolina as residents evacuate
(about 7 hours later)
The first hurricane of the Atlantic season made landfall on the North Carolina coast late on Thursday night, forcing thousands of holiday-makers to scrap their 4 July holiday plans amid evacuation orders. The first hurricane of the Atlantic season has hit the North Carolina coast, a wet and windy spoiler of the July Fourth holiday for thousands of Americans as authorities ordered them to evacuate exposed areas.
Hurricane Arthur arrived near Cape Lookout at the southern end of North Carolina's Outer Banks at 11.15pm EDT (4.15am BST), with maximum sustained winds of 100mph (160kmh), earning it category two status on the five-step scale of hurricane intensity, according to the US National Hurricane Centre. Hurricane Arthur crossed the coast near Cape Lookout at the southern end of North Carolina's Outer Banks at 11:15 p.m. EDT on Thursday (0315 GMT Friday), with maximum sustained winds of 100 miles per hour (160 kph). This earned it Category 2 status on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.
Arthur is the first hurricane to hit the US since superstorm Sandy devastated New York and New Jersey in October 2012 and caused $70bn estimated damage. As of early on Friday morning, Arthur was moving at about 23 mph (37 kph) as it headed oceanward about 20 miles east of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, said National Hurricane Center meteorologist Chris Landsea.
Despite growing in intensity, Arthur remained a medium-sized storm, with hurricane force winds extending outwards up to 35 miles from the centre, though lesser tropical storm-force winds extended 150 miles. "It's pushing offshore from the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It did not stay over land very long and it did not traverse a lot of land," Landsea said, adding it lingered over Pamlico Sound for about six hours.
After scything through the Outer Banks, Arthur was expected to accelerate towards the north-east over cooler water on Friday, diminishing in strength and posing little risk to the north-eastern United States, forecasters said. "It's expected to accelerate during the day as it passes southeast of New England," he said. It was expected to pass southeast of Cape Cod on Friday evening.
The storm disrupted plans for holiday beachgoers and others ordered off low-lying barrier islands in its path. Tourists and some residents packed ferries and crowded the only highway off Ocracoke and Hatteras islands, where voluntary and mandatory evacuations were in effect. More than 20,000 customers were without power near North Carolina's coast as Arthur rushed through early on Friday morning, according to utility Duke Energy.
Ferry services between some islands were suspended on Thursday afternoon as conditions began to deteriorate, with 22ft waves reported offshore and heavy rain and wind gusts reported along the coast. However, Arthur remained a medium-sized storm with hurricane-force winds extending outward only up to 40 miles (65 km) and lesser tropical storm-force winds 150 miles (240 km).
Some people on Hatteras Island planned to ride out the storm. Retiree Gerry Lebing said he was tying things down at his house and moving cars to higher ground. After cutting through the Outer Banks, Arthur was moving northeastward over cooler water on Friday, diminishing in strength as wind-shear disrupts its structure and posing little risk to the densely populated northeastern United States, Landsea said.
Troy Scroggin drove from Virginia to check on his holiday home on Hatteras Island. "We had to batten down the hatches and we're going to stay and see what it's like," he said. Tropical storm warnings would be in effect throughout Friday for eastern Massachusetts, including Nantucket. Arthur would be around western Nova Scotia in Canada early on Saturday.
The storm could bring life-threatening rip currents and a storm surge of up to 5ft to North Carolina's barrier islands, forecasters said. The storm disrupted Independence Day festivities and fireworks for holiday beachgoers and others ordered off low-lying North Carolina barrier islands in its reaches.
North Carolina officials warned the storm surge could make the narrow 50-mile Highway 12 connecting Hatteras Island to the mainland impassable. The state was putting extra heavy equipment in place to remove sand and the overwash as soon as possible after the storm passed. Tourists and some residents packed ferries and crowded the only highway off Ocracoke and Hatteras islands, where voluntary and mandatory evacuations were in effect, though some people stayed behind to look after their homes.
North Carolina officials warned of life-threatening rip currents and a storm surge of up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) that could render the narrow 50-mile (80 km) Highway 12 connecting Hatteras Island to the mainland impassable.
Part of the highway was washed out by storm surge for two months after Superstorm Sandy, forcing people to use ferries to reach the mainland.
North Carolina was putting extra heavy equipment in place to remove sand and the overwash as soon as possible after Arthur passes. Hundreds of military and state police officials were deployed to help with storm preparation, safety and evacuation efforts.
Farther north, the beach resort of Ocean City, Maryland, and more than a dozen communities in New Hampshire and Connecticut put off their July Fourth fireworks display to Saturday.