Hurricane Earl Threatens U.S East Coast
Hurricane Earl Threatens U.S. East Coast
31 August 2010Hurricane Earl has strengthened to a Category Four hurricane on Monday, prompting warnings for several islands along the U.S. East Coast.
The National Hurricane Centre (NHC) reports that the hurricane is currently north-east of Puerto Rico, moving west-north-west at about 24km/h.
Three major cruise lines - Carnival Corp, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line - were forced to reroute several ships. Flights were also cancelled across the region.
Strong winds and heavy rains are already affecting several islands in the Caribbean, causing flooding in low-lying areas. Homes have been damaged on several islands, including Antigua and Barbuda.
Forecasters say that the hurricane could cause "catastrophic" damage if it hits land and have warned coastal residents from North Carolina to Maine to watch the storm's path.
"Any small shift in the track could dramatically alter whether it makes landfall or whether it remains over the open ocean," said Wallace Hogsett, a meteorologist at the NHC. "I can't urge enough to just stay tuned."
So far, no casualties have been reported.
Another tropical storm, Fiona, formed Monday afternoon in the Atlantic is predicted to pass north of the Leeward islands by Wednesday. The storm is expected to reach hurricane strength within the next week.
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