CBS 13 Daybreak

IN MAINE NEWS

New England braces for Hurricane Earl's wind, rain
September 02, 2010 20:24 EDT

BOSTON (AP) -- The projected path of Hurricane Earl has shifted closer to the island of Nantucket. The storm has weakened slightly but still threatens the New England coast, where officials fear a further turn west.

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm's arrival, saying the declaration will allow officials to respond quickly.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami has issued a hurricane warning for the Massachusetts coast from Westport to Hull, including Cape Cod and the Islands, with Nantucket expected to be the hardest hit.

A tropical storm watch is in effect from Hull, Mass., to Eastport, Maine.

The director of the Maine Emergency Management Agency, Robert McAleer, says he hopes that the slowing hurricane and an approaching cold front could push the storm further out to sea.

Island Institute president Phil Conkling says hundreds have left their island summer homes in Maine before the traditional end of the season on Labor Day because of the threat of a weekend washout. He says most who live year-round on the state's islands will likely ride out the storm.