Forecasters find Earl has produced few problems with surge, flooding in coastal counties

Forecasters say little late-night Earl worries

RALEIGH, N.C. — Forecasters say Hurricane Earl has produced little storm surge and only minor flooding in some coastal counties in North Carolina.

National Weather Service meteorologist Chris Collins said early Friday that predictions of storm surges between 2 and 4 feet may be generous and that there has been very little to report in the way of flooding.

However, the center of the hurricane was still moving closer to the coast, expected to pass some 100 miles east of the Outer Banks around 2 a.m.

The National Weather Service forecast that waves of up to 18 feet would smash into the coast early Friday.

Coupled with an expected storm surge of about 4 feet in some places, the weather service said the waves could lead to some beach erosion and roadway overwash on the Outer Banks.