Hurricane Earl Strengthens Off U.S. East Coast -- Yahoo News/Reuters
HATTERAS ISLAND, North Carolina (Reuters) – Hurricane Earl gained more punch on Thursday as the large storm churned up the Atlantic threatening the U.S. East Coast with dangerous winds and large swells and forcing evacuations in North Carolina.
The National Hurricane Center said Earl, a powerful Category 4 storm on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale of intensity, had strengthened with its top sustained winds reaching 145 mph.
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