Dare County has ordered a mandatory evacuation for all residents. The order takes effect at 8 a.m. Friday.

A mandatory evacuation is ordered for all tourists.

The Ports of Morehead City and Wilmington will be closing their gates to commercial traffic at 12:00 noon on Friday, August 26 in preparation for the threat of Hurricane Irene.

North Carolina transportation officials planning for the arrival of Hurricane Irene say they are prepared for damage to the main highway and bridge serving the Outer Banks.

Pine Knoll Shores will enact a curfew at 8:00 p.m. Friday.

Governor Bev Perdue is urging everyone in the state to prepare for the worst as Hurricane Irene approaches.

The last Category 3 or higher to hit the Carolinas was Bonnie in 1998, but caused less damage than other memorable hurricanes.

Representatives from the American Red Cross appeared on WITN News at Sunrise with a checklist of what to pack in a hurricane kit.

While losing power is a threat for much of Eastern Carolina because of Hurricane Irene, utility companies are doing what they can now to make outages as short-lived as possible.

Workers at McCotter's Marina in Beaufort County are not only tying down or removing boats from the water in preparation for Hurricane Irene, they are still trying to rebuild from a destructive fire earlier this year.

County animal shelters want pet owners to be proactive in preparing for Hurricane Irene.

Mainland Hyde County has no power and there is no immediate timetable for the return of power.

Hospitals in the east are prepping for Irene -- making sure they're able to care for patients during and after the storm.

Gov. Beverly Perdue wants North Carolina citizens to prepare for Hurricane Irene should it come ashore this weekend but says vacationers shouldn't scratch coastal travel plans just yet.

Evacuation orders are in effect for Ocracoke. Do you know what to do if you are evacuated? Read the story for information from the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

Authorities on North Carolina's Ocracoke Island have issued a mandatory evacuation order for visitors to leave starting at 5 a.m. Wednesday as Hurricane Irene approaches.

Hurricane Irene could be a Category 3 storm as it impacts Eastern Carolina. A hurricane of that intensity can cause widespread death and destruction. Click full story to read more about each category of hurricane.

As Hurricane Irene churns in the Atlantic, now is the time to prepare for a potential storm. Click full story for a refresher on what you need in your disaster supply kit.

Hurricane Irene is moving up the East Coast, after bringing flooding and damage to Eastern Carolina.

Gert has been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone passing moving east of Newfoundland.

U.S. government forecasters say the rest of the Atlantic hurricane season is likely to be busy, with an above-average number of storms.

One couple from the east may get a glimpse of Tropical Storm Emily several days before the rest of us could.

Storm season is upon us here in the East-- and there's a rotation in the Atlantic attracting some attention-- but is it worth any concern?

As of the 5:00 p.m. update, Tropical Storm Emily was downgraded to a remnant low. She is still moving slowly to the WNW with maximum winds at 35 mph. There is still a large area of thunderstorm activity, but the main circulation related to Emily has dissipated.

Kinston and Kenansville hit 102° Thursday afternoon, while Goldsboro reached 101°.