Hurricane watch issued

Forecasters say Hurricane Earl should pass off the North Carolina coast early Friday morning, but Havelock officials have already been making preparations should the Category 4 storm suddenly shift its course toward the mainland.

The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch from Surf City to Duck, including the Pamlico Sound. The watch means hurricane conditions of winds of 75 mph are possible within 36 hours.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Earl’s maximum sustained winds were 135 mph with higher gusts. As of 5 p.m. on Tuesday, it was located at 22.0 north and 68.8 west, about 1,000 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras and moving northwest at 14 mph.

Forecasters with the hurricane center expect the center of Earl to pass offshore by perhaps 100 miles or so, but on that track, the area could experience tropical storm force winds of 39 to 74 mph and some heavy downpours of rain. High waves and erosion were to be expected along the state’s beaches, especially along the Outer Banks where Earl's center will be the closest to the coast.

The hurricane center warned that there continued to be some uncertainty with the exact track, and forecasters shifted the track slightly westward on Tuesday afternoon. One of the forecast models used to predict the storm's path showed a landfall along the southeast coast of North Carolina, but all others keep the center of the storm off the coast.

“We’re on track as a city as far as being prepared for it,” said Havelock Police Capt. David Bratton, who serves as the city’s emergency operations manager.

He said city department heads have been meeting to prepare in the event Earl comes this way.

Diane Miller, city spokeswoman, said generators that keep the emergency operations center and water and sewer operations running have been tested, and that city officials are keeping an eye on the storm.

“I’ve been tracking it,” Bratton said. “We have a 72-hours checklist where we start doing specific things, filing up generators, testing generators, putting up things around the city that might be blown around. We have a specific checklist that counts us right down to the storm.”

Bratton said Earl was still too far away to say exactly where the storm could go. But just in case the hurricane does veer in this direction, Havelock public services is making sure that emergency equipment such as chainsaws, tree trimmers, backhoes and generators are gassed up, ready to go and staged in strategic areas.

Miller said it was important for residents not to leave trash and recyclables by the street through the storm. Winds could pick up material and blow it around, causing damage. Lose debris could also clog storm drains. Residents should consult the city website to see when their regular trash and recycling pickup days are.

“The big issue is for people not to put stuff out there after their pickup date,” Miller said.

She said the city steps up efforts to get all loose items off the ground and check drainage areas for obstructions prior to any storm.

The last online edition of the Havelock Connection, the city’s newsletter, has hurricane information such as evacuation routes and what residents should gather if they plan to ride out a storm.

In general, residents should refill medicines, fill gas tanks and get an ample amount of cash in the event power is lost.

“We would recommend that people have at least three days worth of supplies,” Bratton said.

In the event Hurricane Earl does make a westward turn toward the coast, the county or state may order an evacuation. The city does not issue evacuation orders but can set a curfew. Bratton said conditions would dictate if the city issues a curfew.

 “My biggest piece of advice would be, if the county issues an evacuation order, that people take heed and not wait until the last moment,” Bratton said.

The Cape Lookout National Seashore has ordered an evacuation of visitors and the park will be closed beginning at 5 p.m. today until further notice.

No other closings or interruption of ferry service had been announced as press deadline on Tuesday afternoon.