Hurricane Earl Expected to Just Glance Area

The National Weather Service has announced that Hurricane Earl is expected to "glance the area" late Friday.

At 6 a.m. this morning the National Weather Service said that the center of Hurricane Earl was located near latitude 29.3N longitude 74.7W. This was about 800 miles south of Long Island. The storm intensity was 145 mph.

They are forecasting that the storm should pass about 150 miles southeast of Long Island Friday evening. The greatest local impacts from Earl are expected across eastern Long Island. When making decisions, they said, do not focus on the exact forecast track; impacts from a hurricane can be felt several hundred miles away.

Their next update will be issued at 1 p.m. or sooner if conditions warrant. The probability of tropical storm/hurricane conditions at this time is up to 57 percent. They say that tropical storm conditions are most likely to begin Friday afternoon. As Hurricane Earl approaches, maximum winds are forecast to be in the 30 to 40 mph range with gusts as high as 60 mph.

The National Weather Service advises that residents should move loose items indoors such as garbage cans and outdoor furniture as they might get blown around. Isolated power outages are possible. Flooding may occur, they say, along the shorelines adjacent to the Long Island Sound and Peconic and Gardiners Bay. Large waves Friday into the weekend will cause substantial beach erosion with washovers possible. Dangerous rip currents will develop today into Friday with surf conditions remaining dangerous into the weekend.

UPDATE: As of 12:40 p.m. Friday afternoon, Long Island MacArthur Airport will remain open and runways will be available for general aviation aircraft, as well as commercial carriers. Southwest Airlines has canceled all flights after 5 p.m. and US Airways has indicated a plan to continue operations as long as weather conditions permit. The airport is advising travelers to check with their carrier.

Message from the County: Suffolk County Exec. Steve Levy and the Suffolk County Police Department urge residents that during severe weather conditions, it is extremely important to use 911 only for true emergencies. Residents are advised to call their local precinct or (631) 852-COPS to report non-emergency situations to police.

"As the county prepares for the arrival of Hurricane Earl, we would like to take this opportunity to remind residents the importance of using 911 for true emergencies," Levy said in a statement. "By calling (631) 852-COPS for non-emergencies, residents are doing their part to ensure that those who are in need of immediate assistance are given top priority."