Hurricane Kyle bolts Carolina, races toward Maine
Monday, 29 September 2008
EASTPORT, (Maine), Sept 28 (AP): Hurricane Kyle raced toward Maine early Sunday, triggering the state's first hurricane watch in 17 years as it roared over the Atlantic off North Carolina on a northward trek that threatened to bring flooding and damaging winds inland.
Forecasters issued a tropical storm warning and hurricane watch Saturday for parts of coastal Maine, where Kyle could cause conditions similar to a New England nor'easter.
Authorities expect wind gusts in Maine to reach up to 60 mph and waves up to 20 feet, said Robert McAleer, Maine Emergency Management Agency director.
People living on coastal islands were advised to evacuate if they depend on electricity for medical reasons, because ferry service will probably shut down Sunday, McAleer said. Significant power failures on the north coastal region of the state were also expected, he said.
"There's going to be some beach erosion," he said. "Our southern coastline is susceptible to beach erosion; the northern coastline is more rocky."
McAleer warned that coastal flooding could be a problem and said some hospitals in vulnerable areas had started sandbagging. Another major threat is small stream flooding, he said.
"We urge everyone to pay close attention to weather warnings and stay away from any flooded roadways or fast-running streams," he said.
It was Maine's first hurricane watch in 17 years, the National Weather Service said. Elsewhere in New England, a hurricane warning was posted for Nantucket Island off the coast of Massachusetts in September 1996, according to the Weather Service office in Taunton, Mass.
At 2 a.m. EDT Sunday, Kyle was centered about 275 miles south of Nantucket, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
With top sustained winds of almost 75 mph, the Category 1 hurricane was moving over the open Atlantic at 23 mph. A turn toward the north-northeast was expected later Sunday. The storm was predicted to strengthen slightly before weakening closer to Maine.
Forecasters issued a tropical storm warning and hurricane watch Saturday for parts of coastal Maine, where Kyle could cause conditions similar to a New England nor'easter.
Authorities expect wind gusts in Maine to reach up to 60 mph and waves up to 20 feet, said Robert McAleer, Maine Emergency Management Agency director.
People living on coastal islands were advised to evacuate if they depend on electricity for medical reasons, because ferry service will probably shut down Sunday, McAleer said. Significant power failures on the north coastal region of the state were also expected, he said.
"There's going to be some beach erosion," he said. "Our southern coastline is susceptible to beach erosion; the northern coastline is more rocky."
McAleer warned that coastal flooding could be a problem and said some hospitals in vulnerable areas had started sandbagging. Another major threat is small stream flooding, he said.
"We urge everyone to pay close attention to weather warnings and stay away from any flooded roadways or fast-running streams," he said.
It was Maine's first hurricane watch in 17 years, the National Weather Service said. Elsewhere in New England, a hurricane warning was posted for Nantucket Island off the coast of Massachusetts in September 1996, according to the Weather Service office in Taunton, Mass.
At 2 a.m. EDT Sunday, Kyle was centered about 275 miles south of Nantucket, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
With top sustained winds of almost 75 mph, the Category 1 hurricane was moving over the open Atlantic at 23 mph. A turn toward the north-northeast was expected later Sunday. The storm was predicted to strengthen slightly before weakening closer to Maine.