Hurricane Arthur made landfall on US East Coast

Hurricane Arthur has made landfall on the North Carolina shore, as millions of Americans braced for its impact along the East Coast on the eve of the Independence Day holiday.

Just before it made landfall, Hurricane Arthur strengthened into a potentially destructive category-two storm. The first storm of the Atlantic hurricane season was packing maximum winds of 100 miles (160 kilometres) per hour, forecasters said, warning North Carolina - home to many popular holiday destinations would bear the brunt of Arthur's fury.

North Carolina state Governor Pat McCrory said emergency preparation efforts had been made more complicated by the arrival of thousands of tourists, who have flocked to beaches for the annual July 4 holiday pilgrimage.

Heavy rain and strong winds lashed the North Carolina coast. Emergency declarations were issued by several counties in the southern state, which opened emergency shelters and ordered evacuations in low-lying areas.

McCrory urged residents and tourists to use common sense, to stay out of the water and out of harm's way, with storm surges of up to five feet (1.5 meters) predicted. Up to eight inches (20 centimetres) of rain were expected in coastal areas.

source : PTI