Isabel reaches N.C. coast

Government officials spent Wednesday preparing for the landfall of Hurricane Isabel, projected for 2 p.m. today. Gov. Mike Easley warned citizens to listen to local government advisories and exercise caution.

Hurricane winds are currently 105 miles per hour with a radius of up to 115 miles. Forecasters project that these conditions will continue until landfall.

 While the exact path of the hurricane is still uncertain, the Triangle is expected to experience hurricane-related winds and rain through Friday morning.

 Three Durham public high schools are serving as emergency storm shelters. While all public schools in the county, as well as North Carolina State University, will be closed today, Duke will hold classes.

 Forecasters predict 10 to 12 inches of rain for coastal regions and a storm surge between seven and 10 feet for lowland areas. Flash flooding is possible for inland areas, although unlikely due to current low river levels and ground saturation.

 Rainfall projections are four to six inches for the Raleigh area and two to four inches in the Triangle area.

 At a press conference Wednesday, Easley reminded the public that most injuries and accidents occur after the storm and are caused by fallen trees and power lines.

 Easley activated 300 N.C. National Guard soldiers Wednesday in addition to the 30 soldiers who were deployed earlier this week to assist with preparations for Hurricane Isabel. Five thousand soldiers have also been placed on standby in the event that extensive recovery measures need to be taken; 2,264 of those soldiers are on standby for immediate deployment.

 Easley said teams from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control arrived in N.C. to respond to storm-related crises. Immediately after the storm, they will also conduct a public health assessment and address post-Isabel health issues such as water safety.

 Special warnings were issued for people living in mobile homes, 20,000 of which lie in the projected path of the storm. Mandatory evacuation orders were issued Tuesday for the coastal counties of Hyde, Dare and Currituck. Tyrell County has a standing evacuation order effective 1 p.m. today.

 Visitors or guests must leave during a mandatory evacuation, while permanent residents are permitted to stay if they so choose. "You stay at your own risk," said Keith Acree, spokesperson for the State Emergency Response Team. "If you choose to stay and ride out the storm, [emergency management agencies] are not going to be able to come and assist you during the height of the storm." Acree said SERT and the National Guard are working collaboratively to position emergency supplies--such as generators and tarps--throughout the state.

 Emergency Management officials have been preparing for the storm for two weeks. So far, contingency plans have been carried out smoothly given the information currently available. Acree said that at this point there is no way to predict exactly where power outages will occur although utility loss is expected.

 Progress Energy and Duke Energy have called in help from out of state to the perimeter of the storm in preparation for utility loss. Companies stressed that all downed power lines should be treated as live.

 Duke stores are also preparing for the storm and the possibility of inaccessible roads. The University Store ordered extra batteries and flashlights, and the Lobby Shop and East Campus Store have been checked to ensure that staple items are in stock.

 Uncle Harry's ordered an additional 50 cases of water and doubled its order for bread and milk.