Hurricane may touch land

RODANTHE, N.C. (AP) — Forecasters say the odds are increasing that Hurricane Arthur will actually make landfall. But they say even if that doesn’t happen, coastal North Carolina is going to feel the impact overnight and tomorrow.

They expect Arthur to speed up to a Category 2 storm and pass over or near the Outer Banks early in the day — bringing rain, heavy winds, storm surge and dangerous rip currents. Its top sustained winds are currently clocked at 90 miles an hour.

The timing is bad for the state’s Outer Banks — where tourism officials had expected 250,000 visitors for the holiday weekend. But North Carolina’s governor says it still should be a “beautiful weekend” after the storm passes tomorrow.

And some of the people who are vacationing this week in the Outer Banks are planning to ride out the hurricane. A Virginia man who was on the beach today said he didn’t see any reason to disrupt his family’s vacation.

A hurricane warning is in effect for much of the North Carolina coast.

%@AP Links

186-a-18-(Rick Knabb, director, National Hurricane Center, in AP interview)-“as we speak”-National Hurricane Center Director Rick Knabb says Arthur may cross over the North Carolina coast before heading back out over water. ((“tonight” refers to Thursday)) (3 Jul 2014)

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148-a-10-(Governor Pat McCrory , R-N.C., at news conference)-“quick as possible”-North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory says his state is prepared for whatever Hurricane Arthur delivers. (3 Jul 2014)

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APPHOTO NVWSN619: Clouds and rains move in as beach goers walk along the shore of Wrightsville Beach, N.C. Thursday, July 3, 2014. Residents along the coast of North Carolina are bracing for the arrival of the Hurricane Arthur, a category one storm. (AP Photo/Wilmington Star-News, Mike Spencer) (3 Jul 2014)

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Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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