North Carolina, Sept 3, 2010 (From AFP) - Hurricane Earl bore down on North Carolina early Friday, promising to lash a vast stretch of the US East Coast with tropical storm force winds, heavy rain and dangerous surf. Coastal residents huddled at home after tens of thousands fled the strongest Atlantic storm of 2010, which was expected to produce major swells along much of the eastern seaboard during the day, send waters surging up to 1.5 meters and dump up to 15 centimetres of rain. Although Earl was earlier downgraded to a category two storm, it was set to bring destructive winds and heavy rains to North Carolina's coast before moving north, reaching Canada's Nova Scotia by early Saturday. Weather watchers said Earl was the most powerful hurricane to threaten the US Northeast and New England since 1991, when Hurricane Bob caused deadly damage.

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