Hurricane Earl Strikes East Coast: Causes Minor Floods and Power Outages
By Turjo, Gaea News NetworkFriday, September 3, 2010
NORTH CAROLINA (GaeaTimes.com) — Hurricane Earl has finally reached North Carolina and is continuing up the east coast of the US, leading two more states to declare states of emergency. But fortunately the storm weakened from a category four to a category one, with maximum sustained winds of 140 km/hr (85mph).
Officials have confirmed minor flooding and power outages on some parts of US mainland where more than 80 troops were sent to assist with relief efforts in the region. But the hurricane, which is now affecting south-east Virginia, has not proved to be as strong as was feared.
On the other hand, the governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick, urged residents of low-lying areas that typically experience flooding, to consider leaving their homes by Friday afternoon. A shelter is also being planned at a local high school in Nantucket Island.
Earl is now being followed by Tropical Storm Fiona, which is expected to pass near the British overseas territory of Bermuda late on Friday or early on Saturday morning.
