Hurricane Earl poses little to no risk for UNC

The current Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite GOES-13 captured this image of Hurricane Danielle heading for the north Atlantic (top center), Hurricane Earl with a visible eye hitting the Leeward Islands (left bottom) and a developing tropical depression 8 (lower right) at 1:45 p.m. EDT on August 30, 2010. (NASA GOES Project/MCT)

Hurricane Earl is nearing North Carolina, but the coast is the only area likely to be affected.

The state is expecting the category-three storm to impact the coast today and be gone before the weekend.

As of 1 p.m. Wednesday, it had sustained winds of 120 miles per hour, said Ryan Boyles, director of the State Climate Office of North Carolina. But by the time it approaches the state, it will slow down by as much as half the speed.

Although UNC does not expect significant impact, it is participating in state emergency preparations.

The University is informing students of weather changes through the AlertCarolina website, but it will use AlertCarolina text messages or e-mails to contact students if the situation worsens, said Randy Young, spokesman for the UNC Department of Public Safety.

“There is little to no risk in the Triangle area,” Boyles said. “We may get some winds, we may see some clouds. I doubt we even see rain.”

He said they are pretty certain of the storm’s path in the next 48 hours, but the intensity of the storm is harder to predict.

“Hopefully this will move on in time on Friday so people can get out and enjoy the weekend,” he said.

But flooding and coastal erosion remain great risks, said Gavin Smith, executive director for the Center for the Study of Natural Hazards and Disasters.

“Just a change 80 miles east or west will make a huge difference in the impact on the outer banks of North Carolina,” he said.

Ocracoke and Hatteras Islands have already been evacuated in anticipation of the storm.

The State Emergency Operation Center in Raleigh is open and communicating with local emergency centers, preparing for the potential effects of the storm, Smith said.

The state is also working with federal organizations, such as Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Guard to pre-position equipment and personnel in threatened areas, he said.

UNC-Wilmington has formed its own protocol in the event of a hurricane, said Kevin Madsen, emergency manager for the university. Wilmington does not expect a direct impact from Earl, but the university is prepared nonetheless.

“We are monitoring the hurricane situation, and we communicate with different departments and student leadership in the school,” he said.

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.

To get the day's news and headlines in your inbox each morning, sign up for our email newsletters.

SUBSCRIBE NOW