Many parts of the United States’ eastern seabord are at risk from a hurricane that is due to strike tomorrow night.
Hurricane Isabel had originally been branded a Category Five storm by weather experts – the highest rating that a storm can have – with winds approaching 150 miles per hour being predicted, even though forecasters have now downgraded the storm to a Category Three, with winds of 120 miles per hour.
Newspaper reports suggest the hurricane will hit the North Carolina coastline tomorrow night, moving north to the Washington area on Thursday night. Even New York could be severely affected late on Friday, say forecasters.
According to the Daily Mail, the United States mainland has been hit by just three Category Five storms in the last 100 years; Hurricane Camille, in 1969, killed more than 250 people.
In the easternmost states, evacuation routes have been prepared, while many tourists have been advised to move away from the coast – even though some forecasters say the hurricane-force winds could reach as far as 150 miles inland.
For the latest forecasts and maps visit http://files.hurricanealley.net/storms/13L.html
