East Coast Braces for Earl

The surf pounds the Oceana Pier as Hurricane Earl heads toward the eastern coast in Atlantic Beach, N.C., Thursday, Sept. 2, 2010.

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Clouds from the outer bands of Hurricane Earl appear over the Atlantic ocean at sunrise in Nags Head, N.C., Thursday, Sept. 2, 2010, as Earl approaches the east coast. Hurricane Earl with winds swirling at around 145 mph continued to barrel toward the Eastern Seaboard and forecasters were trying to pinpoint exactly how close the strongest winds and heaviest surge would get to North Carolina's fragile chain of barrier islands.

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AP Photo/The Virginian-Pilot, Stephen M. Katz

Justin Hartleben, left, Jared Hartleben, center, and Kevin Hall, with Caswell Construction, board up a home in Nags Head, N.C., Thursday, Sept. 2, 2010, in preparation for the possible landfall of Hurricane Earl.

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Peter Flynn, right, Brita Flynn, left, and Melissa Bennett, center, cover books and desks with plastic sheeting at the Carteret Public Library as Hurricane Earl heads toward the eastern coast in Pine Knoll Shores, N.C., Thursday, Sept. 2, 2010.

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Virginia Beach lifeguards scan the water from the top of a protective sand berm that construction crews built to protect against storm surge from Hurricane Earl on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2010, in Virginia Beach, Va.

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A window is boarded up with a message at the Buxton Beach Motel in Buxton, N.C., Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010 as Hurricane Earl approaches North Carolina's Outer Banks. The governors of North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland declared states of emergency Wednesday in advance of the storm.

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A surfer rides the waves as Hurricane Earl aproaches in Buxton, N.C., Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010. A tourist evacuation of Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island was ordered Wednesday as the powerful storm approaches North Carolina's Outer Banks.

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Jay Farley, top, installs covers to a homeowner's oceanfront window as Jason Wheeler, bottom, looks on as Hurricane Earl heads toward the eastern coast in Atlantic Beach, N.C., Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010.

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This picture provided by NASA Astronaut Douglas H. Wheelock via Twitpic shows Hurricane Earl as seen from space on Aug. 31, 2010.

"Hurricane Earl is gathering some serious strength," Wheelock wrote. "It is incredible what a difference a day makes when you're dealing with this force of nature. Please keep a watchful eye on this one...not sure if Earl will go quietly into the night like Danielle."

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A ferry with cars from Ocracoke Island docks in Hatteras, N.C., Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010. An evacuation of Ocracoke is underway as Hurricane Earl approaches the North Carolina Outer Banks. A hurricane warning was issued for the North Carolina coast Wednesday morning.

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A boy takes cover from a wave caused by the approaching of the Hurricane Earl in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, Monday, Aug. 30, 2010. Earl battered some islands across the northeastern Caribbean with heavy rain and roof-ripping winds Monday, rapidly intensifying into a major Category 4 storm on a path projected to menace the United States.

Earl Now Major Hurricane, Looms Over Caribbean
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Tourists walk along the beach in the Condado neighborhood under cloudy skies caused by the approaching Hurricane Earl in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Monday Aug. 30, 2010.

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Wind caused by the approaching Hurricane Earl kicks up waves and blows palm trees in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Monday Aug. 30, 2010.

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Luis Colon uses an umbrella to shield himself from rain and wind caused by the approaching Hurricane Earl in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Monday Aug. 30, 2010.

Earl Now Major Hurricane, Looms Over Caribbean
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A couple uses an umbrella as they walk in Old San Juan as Hurricane Earl approaches Puerto Rico, Monday Aug. 30, 2010.

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Winds caused by the approaching Hurricane Earl kick up waves in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Monday Aug. 30, 2010.

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St. JOhn, Vuirgin Islands, Hurricane ear; — Renee Petrillo

Earl kicked up some rough seas as seem from this webcam imagetaken around 12:30 p.m. in St. John, in the U.S. Virgin Islands on Monday, Aug. 30, 2010.

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Army soldiers help to remove a fallen tree at the village of Liberta after the passage of Hurricane Earl near Antigua, Monday, Aug. 30, 2010. Earl battered some islands across the northeastern Caribbean with heavy rain and roof-ripping winds Monday, rapidly intensifying into a major storm on a path projected to menace the United States.

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A sunken boat is seen after the passage of Hurricane Earl at the St. John's harbor, Antigua, Monday, Aug. 30, 2010. Earl battered some islands across the northeastern Caribbean with heavy rain and roof-ripping winds Monday, rapidly intensifying into a major storm on a path projected to menace the United States.

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