Hurricane Alex's winds top 100 mph

By Aaron Beard
The Associated Press

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Motel parking lots and the campground at Oregon Inlet were still full. Restaurants left their outdoor furniture in place and one hardware store had left bags of potting soil sitting out alongside other displays.

The storm built to hurricane strength early in the day and by midday the sustained wind around its eye - which remained off the coast - had revved up to nearly 100 mph, with higher gusts, the National Hurricane Center said.

On shore, rain fell in a steady, diagonal downpour at Rodanthe and up to 6 inches of rain was possible in some areas, the National Weather Service said. The agency reported an 83 mph wind gust on Ocracoke Island and a 72 mph gust at Buxton on Hatteras Island.

The hurricane center said little additional strengthening was expected by midday tomorrow.

Because the forecast track would keep the storm's center, where the strongest wind blows, just off the low-lying Outer Banks islands, Alex did not raise the same level of concern as have previous storms that made direct hits on the resort area and stayed over land for extended periods.

"It's just going to be a couple of days of rain and a little bit of wind, then it will be life as usual," said Outer Banks resident Jim Sarsfield, who picked up loose objects around his home but didn't plan to cover his windows. "Just your basic get-ready-to-get-ready."

Even as high tide approached, there was no flooding at the coastal town of Swanquarter in Hyde County, which was hit hard last September by Hurricane Isabel. Residents weren't concerned, said Patsy Newman, whose husband owns Clark's Marina and Seafood.

"They're just sitting here, flapping their jaws," Newman said over the laughter of about 10 fishermen.

No evacuations had been ordered.

Electrical service was out for about 8,000 customers, including all of Hatteras Island from Rodanthe to Hatteras Village, utilities said.
 
At 3 p.m. EDT, the hurricane was centered about 30 miles east-northeast of Cape Hatteras, with its forward motion at nearly 17 mph, the Miami-based hurricane center said. Sustained hurricane-force winds, of at least 72 mph, extended as much as 25 miles out from the center.

A hurricane warning was in effect along the Outer Banks from Cape Lookout to Oregon Inlet, and tropical storm warnings extended north to the Virginia state line and south of Cape Lookout to Surf City.

David Pore said he and his family have been coming to the area for years but have never experienced a major storm. "Right now it doesn't seem bad. When the wind starts blowing and stuff starts flying around, I might get nervous," said Pore, of Pittsburgh.

Alex started as a tropical depression Saturday and spun in place off the South Carolina coast most of Sunday. By midday Monday it had started moving parallel to the coast of the Carolinas.

Beachgoers were warned of the threat of rip currents, powerful channels of water running out from the beaches that can carry swimmers out to sea. At Wrightsville Beach, near the South Carolina line, ocean rescue captain Bud Woodrum said lifeguards pulled at least eight people out of the strong currents Monday.

Only two hurricane seasons on record have a first tropical depression forming later than July 31. But forecasters said a late start has no bearing on hurricane activity.