By WHQR News Staff
Wilmington, NC – Governor Bev Perdue has announced a state of emergency for counties east of Interstate 95 in North Carolina.
This information came to WHQR in a press release from the Governor's Office:
This morning, the National Weather Service issued a Hurricane Watch for the North Carolina coast from Surf City to the Virginia border. A tropical storm watch is in effect from Surf City to Edisto beach in South Carolina. Perdue has also asked the President to declare a pre-landfall emergency declaration to provide federal assistance for response efforts.
The latest hurricane center advisory projects Hurricane Irene will make landfall late Saturday afternoon near Ocracoke. Tropical storm force winds and rain are projected to begin late Friday and could increase to hurricane force winds later Saturday.
Rainfall amounts will be greatest east of I-95, particularly near the coast where six inches of rain or more are possible. Also, storm surge of several feet is possible along the entire coast. The central parts of the state may see localized rainfall amounts of more than two inches.
Areas east of I-95 have the potential for the worst wind, but gusts of 40 miles per hour are possible along the central parts of the state as the outer bands move through.
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