Hurricane Ophelia approaches US East Coast

MIAMI – Hurricane Ophelia crept toward the US state of North Carolina early yesterday, forcing concerned local officials to post storm warnings and urge residents to leave barrier islands.

The National Hurricane Center said the warnings were in effect for a 360-kilometre stretch of coastline from the South Santee River in South Carolina to Cape Lookout in North Carolina. At 2am, Ophelia swirled in the Atlantic some 338 kilometres from Charleston, South Carolina, and about 435 kilometres south-east from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.It was moving west at about eight kilometres an hour, but was expected to veer west-northwest later in the day, according to the centre.Ophelia is rated one on a five-point hurricane scale where five is the severest.A category-one hurricane packs maximum sustained winds of 119-153 kilometres per hour, with a storm surge of about 1,5 metres above normal.The centre anticipated no change in strength.In contrast, Katrina, which slammed into the Gulf Coast on August 29, wreaking havoc to parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, was a far more powerful category-four storm, with sustained winds hitting 210-249 kilometres per hour, and surges of four to five metres above normal.The estimated one million people displaced by Katrina have been spread all over the country, but South Carolina has suspended flights of evacuees so it can prepare for the new hurricane.Some of the hundreds of families moved from Louisiana to coastal districts of South Carolina after Katrina’s deadly strike are now thinking of moving on again because of Ophelia.At least 700 Katrina evacuees have been airlifted to the inland South Carolina cities, Columbia and Greenville, in recent days, said Chris Drummond, a spokesman for Governor Mark Sanford.- Nampa-AFPAt 2am, Ophelia swirled in the Atlantic some 338 kilometres from Charleston, South Carolina, and about 435 kilometres south-east from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.It was moving west at about eight kilometres an hour, but was expected to veer west-northwest later in the day, according to the centre.Ophelia is rated one on a five-point hurricane scale where five is the severest.A category-one hurricane packs maximum sustained winds of 119-153 kilometres per hour, with a storm surge of about 1,5 metres above normal.The centre anticipated no change in strength.In contrast, Katrina, which slammed into the Gulf Coast on August 29, wreaking havoc to parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, was a far more powerful category-four storm, with sustained winds hitting 210-249 kilometres per hour, and surges of four to five metres above normal.The estimated one million people displaced by Katrina have been spread all over the country, but South Carolina has suspended flights of evacuees so it can prepare for the new hurricane.Some of the hundreds of families moved from Louisiana to coastal districts of South Carolina after Katrina’s deadly strike are now thinking of moving on again because of Ophelia.At least 700 Katrina evacuees have been airlifted to the inland South Carolina cities, Columbia and Greenville, in recent days, said Chris Drummond, a spokesman for Governor Mark Sanford.- Nampa-AFP