Hanna sweeps along southeastern coast; Ike points to Florida
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) — Tropical Storm Hanna sped toward the southeastern coast of the U.S. on Friday, and forecasters predicted the storm would strengthen slightly before reaching land Saturday.
As of 2 p.m. ET, Hanna was about 150 miles off the Florida coast and 310 miles south of Wilmington, North Carolina, carrying maximum sustained winds near 70 mph with higher gusts — just below hurricane status of 74 mph, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said. View a map of Hanna’s projected path
The storm — which had spent several days meandering around the southern Bahamas — was moving north at a fast clip of about 20 mph, and forecasters expected it to speed up even more Saturday before turning toward the northeast.
On this track, Hanna’s center would remain off the Florida and Georgia coasts Friday afternoon and evening and make landfall in the Carolinas in the early hours of Saturday, according to hurricane center projections.
A tropical storm warning extends from Altamaha Sound, Georgia, to Sandy Hook, New Jersey, including all of Chesapeake Bay, the tidal Potomac River, Washington and Delaware Bay.
The center said the storm is likely to strengthen only slightly, but warned that it is still possible for Hanna to become a hurricane before hitting land.
Meanwhile Ike — a small, but impressive hurricane — is still far out in the Atlantic, forecasters said, but they warned that it could land in southern Florida as a Category 3 storm by Tuesday night. View a map of Ike’s projected path
North Carolina and South Carolina opened emergency centers in anticipation of the storm’s arrival, and North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley declared a state of emergency, as have the Maryland and Virginia governors. Watch Hanna’s aftermath in Haiti
No mandatory evacuation orders were issued in either North Carolina or South Carolina, but South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford urged the voluntary evacuation of two northeast counties.
Charleston, South Carolina, has prepared for the worst. Workers began earlier this week boarding up city buildings, and firefighters filled and distributed sandbags to residents and business owners. Backup generators were fueled and positioned at key locations around the city.
City offices were closed Friday in anticipation of the storm, as were Charleston County schools.
In Wrightsville Beach, in coastal North Carolina, stores and businesses remained open as the community wrapped up its summer season.
We look at it more or less like a nor’easter, a bad storm with some wind and rain and hopefully not a lot of damage, Mayor Stephen Whalen told CNN.
Some buildings were boarded up, and billboards were taken down in Morehead City, some 92 miles north of Wrightsville Beach, said Jamie Fulk, the deputy chief for the fire department.
We’re prepared. We’ve done all we can do to get prepared; we’re basically waiting to see what the storm is going to do, he said. The public’s very much aware of what’s going on … (they’re) waiting to see if it’s going to intensify.
Tropical storm force winds extended outward up to 315 miles from the center.
People are reminded that there is very little difference between a strong tropical storm and a minimal hurricane, forecasters said earlier. iReport.com: Are you prepared for the storm?
A hurricane watch was in effect from north of Edisto Beach, South Carolina — about 30 miles south of Charleston — to Currituck Beach Light, North Carolina.
A tropical storm watch is in effect from north of Sandy Hook, New Jersey, to Watch Hill, Rhode Island, including Long Island, the hurricane center’s 11 a.m. advisory said. Watch Myrtle Beach hotel workers prepare for Hanna
Meanwhile, Ike’s top winds of 120 mph keep it a Category 3 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale, according to the hurricane center’s 11 a.m. advisory.
The forecast calls for Ike to be a Category 3 major hurricane as it approaches the Florida coast next week. Watch a view of Ike from space
Ike was centered 425 miles (685 kilometers) north of the Leeward Islands and was moving toward the west about 16 mph (24 kph).
Ike is expected to continue westward for the next several days before turning west-northwest toward Florida, the hurricane center said.
