Many of the reliable models are predicting Arthur to intensify by tomorrow morning to nearly Category 2 status, with the eye of the storm passing over the Outer Banks of North Carolina between 3:00 – 7:00 am EDT tomorrow.
While there will be some hurricane force winds felt along the North Carolina coast, many of the structures in this area have been toughened over the years to withstand hurricane force winds up to 100 mph. Of course Arthur will produce some claims, however, this does not appear to be the widespread catastrophe that is being touted by media outlets and industry watchers. That being said, should Arthur take an unexpected veer to the left things could get very nasty very quickly.
At this time, Hatteras Island is under mandatory evacuation, forcing an estimated 35,000 people off the island. In addition, officials speculate that most of the estimated 250,000 people who planned to spend the holiday on the Outer Banks will likely scrap their vacation plans as a result of Arthur. Our vote for “Quote of the Day” today comes from North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory, who offers this wisdom to those thinking of playing in the churning surf in the coming days… “Don’t put your stupid hat on.” Well put sir!
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/hurricane-arthur/gov-s-storm-message-dont-put-your-stupid-hat-n146581
Arthur has arrived a full month earlier than typical mid-August appearance of the first hurricane of the season. Is this a portent of an active season ahead? We will be keeping a close eye on this storm in the coming days and will keep you posted on any developments!