Hurricane Earl may never reach Virginia apart from stirring up strong winds, rough surf and rip currents, but the powerful Category 4 storm is causing uncertainty for anyone traveling over Labor Day weekend.
The three-day holiday was expected to be a mini-boom for the tourism industry.
Before news of Hurricane Earl’s potential to skim the East Coast was known, AAA Mid-Atlantic predicted Labor Day travel in Virginia would increase 9 percent over last Labor Day, and 10 percent nationwide. The average traveler was expected to spend $697.
“This is generally the holiday when a lot of people head to the beach for the last hoorah of summer, sun and fun, and if the storm does indeed move further inland that could impact those vacations, and may cause some people to cancel,” said AAA Mid-Atlantic spokeswoman Martha M. Meade.
As recently as this afternoon, Hurricane Earl was forecast to remain off the coast of eastern Virginia Thursday and Friday.
In North Carolina, Hurricane Earl would have a “close approach” to Cape Hatteras on Thursday and Thursday evening, said National Hurricane Center Director Bill Read.
Regardless, federal and state emergency planners want the public to pay attention to Hurricane Earl.
Federal Emergency Management Administrator Craig Fugate acknowledged the holiday weekend as he spoke to reporters in a conference call today.
He advised families in its potential path to stock up on disaster supplies now and decide on a plan, such as where their family will go if there is an evacuation called by state or local officials.
“We do not have a forecasted landfall, but this is a very large system. We do expect impacts along the coast,” Fugate said.
The Virginia Department of Emergency Management has posted maps showing where residents would need to evacuate from in coastal areas, depending on the category of hurricane at vdem.state.va.us. Evacuation routes are also posted.
Virginia’s Hampton Roads area and Eastern Shore is in the “cone of error” for Hurricane Earl, said Bob Spieldenner, Virginia Department of Emergency Management spokesman.
“Right now it’s forecast to miss us," Spieldenner said "but it’s awfully close.”
Kelly Hannon: 540/374-5436
khannon@freelancestar.com