Hurricane Earl continued its march toward the coastal United States Wednesday, prompting people along the Atlantic coast to brace for the powerful storm's expected impact later this week. The storm, which grew into a category 4 on Monday, headed past Grand Turk island on a northwest track on Tuesday with maximum sustained winds of 135 miles an hour. But forecasters were predicting the storm would change its course slightly late Wednesday and deal a glancing blow to North Carolina, making its closest approach to Cape Hatteras on Thursday. Earl likely won't make landfall - remaining about 100 miles off coast - but because of its intensity it could hit the coast with destructive winds and currents, and even a slight turn closer to the coast could directly affect the Outer Banks, forecasters said. Earl's track forced authorities to put residents on notice. The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch for parts of the North Carolina coast, and the Navy sent out warnings to people in the Norfolk area and alerted ships in the waters off Virginia that they may be ordered out to sea. FEMA told reporters on Tuesday that it had emergency teams already on the ground in North Carolina. The agency was urging residents of North Carolina, particularly those along the coast, to consider stocking up on food and water and preparing emergency plans.
