Speaking Friday, North Carolina governor Bev Perdue urged residents to begin evacuating the coast as Hurricane Irene continued to travel towards the state, gaining strength as its outer bands began slamming the state.
“This hurricane is real,” said Ms. Perdue. “More than 3.5 million people are involved in the counties we think it will hit.”
“As governor of this state, I want to remind you, once again, that this hurricane is real,” explained the North Carolina Democrat. “We are ready, preparing for the worst, but praying for the best.”
The Category 2 storm currently has maximum sustained winds of 110 mph, but it’s expected to be stronger when it hits North Carolina’s coast sometime Saturday. Ms. Perdue, along with a number of other governors, has declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm.
Hurricane Irene’s main thrust was still a day away from North Carolina but heightened waves began hitting the state’s Outer Banks and rain began falling in the southeastern part of the state Friday as the storm continued trudging toward the East Coast.
The National Hurricane Center said Friday that it does not expect Hurricane Irene to strengthen before it makes landfall in North Carolina. In its 11 a.m. ET update, Irene had maximum sustained winds of 105 mph with higher gusts. Irene is a Category 2 hurricane. Category 2 storms have winds of 96 mph to 110 mph. Winds of that speed are described as extremely dangerous and capable of causing extensive damage.
