09/03/2010 8:42 pm
We have all made it through the storm with no injuries and very little damage.
I thought we had it made about 3 a.m. The wind wasn?t too bad, but then came that shift to the northwest.
And the sound tide rushed in. Much of it was still on the highway today.
Here in Brigands? Bay, about three feet of tide came up under my house at about dawn this morning. Many of the lawns are strewn with trash, but that is about the worst of it.
Could have been much worse.
You can read a story and see a slide show on Hurricane Earl on the Local News Page.
The wind shifted a few hours ago to the north/northwest, and it is now gusting over 60 mph. ? maybe as high as 80 in Brigands? Bay in Frisco. This is the most intense wind we have had in Hurricane Earl.
The hurricane, now weakened to 105 mph, passed just offshore of Hatteras. However, its approach with northeast winds was not been nearly as dramatic as its departure has been.
My house in Brigand?s Bay is surrounded by water ? a few feet or so at this point. The rain hitting the side of the house is deafening. The house is shaking in the gusty winds, and I can hear the cedar shakes blowing off the roof. Thankfully, nothing else seems to be blowing around. However, the screen door on my porch is about to take off in thewind.
The soundside tide is going to be devastating, I fear, for Hatteras and Ocracoke. I don?t think any of us will know how bad it is until daylight, probably just an hour or so away.
The good news this night is that we have kept our power so far, so we have stayed cool and been able to watch the Weather Channel non-stop?if you wanted to see Jim Cantore splashing around in the rising tide at theHatteras Inlet ferry docks. Personally, I like Jim?s company on a stormy night, such as this.
In the 20 years that I have lived on Hatteras, this has been the first major storm to come through overnight. The other big hurricanes ? Emily, Dennis, Floyd, Isabel, Alex ? have all been daytime storms.
I like the daytime storms much better ? when you can see what is happening.
Surely, this will end shortly, and the sound tide will recede.
Then we will be able to assess the damage.
It is just after 11 p.m. and it?sreally beginning to blow here.
My house is shaking in the gusts ?and that usually doesn?t happen until winds gust past 45 mph.
Hurricane Earl is still about 100 milessoutheast of Hatteras and Ocracoke. It is now a Category 2 stormwith winds of 105 mph.
The Weather Service says the storm willmake its closest approach to the islands about 2 to 3 a.m. with windsapproaching hurricane force.
So I guess we will be rocking androlling for much of the night.
The next issue will be how high thesoundside storm surge will be as the storm moves north of the islandsand the winds shift to the northwest.
Late this afternoon, the WeatherService increased its forecast for soundside flooding to 4 to 6 feet.
I?m not sure I will stay awake muchpast this posting, so I?ll catch up in the morning.
We are hoping and praying for the best.
Earl is now a Category 2 storm with winds of 110 miles an hour, and it is turning to the north.
This is good news. It is looking really good that this hurricane will pass offshore, east of Hatteras and Ocracoke.
The storm is still about 140 miles south and east of Cape Hatteras, so we are in line for some hurricane force winds later tonight.
Right now, the winds at Billy Mitchell airport in Frisco are clocked at 21, gusting to 32. However, that automated data system is notoriously inaccurate.
But it is getting windy.
The National Weather Service at Newport, N.C., says that a period of winds from 40 to 60 mph with gusts to hurricane strength at 75 are still expected about midnight and for a few hours after that.
Most everyone I know has stayed on the islands.
And even Jim Cantore of the Weather Channel is still here tonight.
Last night he declared he was out of here and more or less said that anyone who stayed had a serious problem.
It?s comforting to know he is still down there in Hatteras village keeping us informed.
We will check back in with you in a few hours.
9/2/2010 2:00 pm
Watching and Waiting
Here we are at 2 p.m. just watching and waiting.
It?s hard to believe that there is a Category 3 hurricane just a little more than 100 miles off our coast.
It?s breezy here now ? northeast about 15 to 25. We?ve just had our first brief rain shower, but for most of the day, skies have been just overcast, with the sun occasionally peeking out.
Not a bad day, but we are all wondering what is coming next.According to the latest from the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Earl may be starting to curve to the north, and in time, it is expected to go to the northeast.
Everyone on Hatteras and Ocracoke is glued to the Weather Channel and the National Weather Service radio for the latest updates ? praying that the monster storm heading right for us will turn away. 
When we woke up this morning, Earl was a Category 4 storm with winds of 145 mph. Now it is down to a Category 3 at 125 mph. That is good, but its wind field has also increased, making it more likely that we will get hurricane force winds overnight.
The storm is still forecast to pass offshore of Hatteras and Ocracoke, but maybe too close for comfort.
The National Weather Service in Newport, N.C., said in its most recent update that we will have sustained winds of 40 mph by late afternoon and winds overnight of 50 to 60 mph with gusts to about 75 for a few hours after midnight.
Waves are predicted at 12 to 18 feet in the surf zone, and the storm surge on the oceanside will be about 3 to 5 feet. High tide tonight is at 3 a.m.
The forecast storm surge on the soundside after the storm passes the islands is now increased to 4 to 6 feet.
Visitors left Hatteras and Ocracoke yesterday, and islanders have been getting ready for the storm for a couple days now ? taking boats out of the water, moving vehicles to higher ground, boarding up windows, and doing last-minute shopping for necessities.
The supermarkets are still open, but just about everything else is closed down ? including the beaches. The Park Service has closed beaches to off-road vehicles, though they are still open to pedestrians ? if you can find any beach to walk on.
Some residents, especially those with young children, have evacuated. But most are staying and hoping for the best.
Businesses owners are lamenting what could be a disastrous Labor Day weekend, usually the last hurrah of summer and good for business.
The hurricane, though, is moving fast ? 18 mph right now ? and the sun should be shining again by tomorrow afternoon.
So if Highway 12 holds up to the hurricane conditions, visitors who are planning to come down here for the weekend may well be able to make it.
If you have plans to be here, call the property manager or campground or motel and check out conditions.
Also, please send us your photos of the storm ? as long as it is safe to be outside. Send photos to editor@islandfreepress.org.
I?ll update this blog every few hours tonight ? or as long as we have power.
Stay safe out there.
