As hurricane Earl threatens the east coast of the US, holidaymakers on Ocracoke Island, off the coast of North Carolina, are being evacuated. The only way off the island is by ferry, and vehicles are now queuing for the two-and-a-half-hour journey to the mainland. There are also 800 permanent residents on the island; however, they are not required to evacuate.

Hurricane Earl is the most powerful storm to threaten the eastern seaboard since 1991 and the arrival of hurricane Bob. Although the storm has weakened, winds of up to 125 mph are still whipping up the seas of the Caribbean.

Lindsey Mooney, director of emergency services on Ocracoke, said she hoped many of the island’s residents’ would follow the tourists and seek shelter on the mainland. Depending on the path hurricane Earl takes, a number of other towns on the east coast could face evacuation.

Kenneth Collie, Hyde County commissioner, admitted that he could not say when the last mandatory evacuation was ordered for Ocracoke Island. According to Dennis Feltgen, of the National Hurricane Centre, just a small shift in hurricane Earl’s movements to the west could devastate properties along parts of the east coast.

Inhabitants of the Caicos and Turks Islands gathered together to enjoy the spectacle of large waves caused by the outer fringes of hurricane Earl. Virginia is planning to declare a state of emergency just in case Earl decides to come ashore. At the moment, however, forecasters are predicting Earl will stay out over the open ocean and start to move north.