Here comes Earl East Coast communities on alert for hurricane

The Northeastern United States is bracing for a stormy Labor Day weekend, as Hurricane Earl makes its way toward the East Coast from the mid-Atlantic Ocean.

Reports from the National Weather Service determined Monday morning that Earl had grown from a tropical storm to a major hurricane, with winds of 135 mph, while the National Hurricane Center issued hurricane watches along the eastern seaboard.

Puerto Rico and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands were the first to receive Earl’s force, as Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) teams were dispatched to the Caribbean. By Tuesday afternoon, Earl was considered a Category 4 hurricane.

In a press conference Tuesday, FEMA administrator Craig Fugate said evacuations may be required along the East Coast, as Earl was expected to brush along the seaboard and move north.

Heavy rains and wind were expected in North Carolina late Thursday or Friday morning, with the storm sweeping north along the coast and past New England by Saturday morning. Connecticut was west of the center of the predicted path.

Emergency agencies along the East Coast prepared for Earl’s arrival as the U.S. Coast Guard put ships on notice in Norfolk, Va. Hurricane watches were issued Tuesday along the mid-Atlantic coast.

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