Ophelia may strengthen to hurricane

Tropical Storm Ophelia threatened to strengthen back into a hurricane as it wobbled towards the southeast US coast yesterday and sent thousands of people packing from North Carolina's barrier islands. Ophelia's centre was 232 kilometres south of...

Tropical Storm Ophelia threatened to strengthen back into a hurricane as it wobbled towards the southeast US coast yesterday and sent thousands of people packing from North Carolina's barrier islands. Ophelia's centre was 232 kilometres south of Wilmington, North Carolina. The storm was creeping north-northwest and was expected to turn north and hit the North Carolina coast tonight and tomorrow, the forecasters said.

Ophelia had sat off the North and South Carolina coast for four days, alternately strengthening into a hurricane and weakening back to a tropical storm.

Along the 160-kilometre chain of barrier islands known as the Outer Banks, mandatory evacuation orders were issued for all 20,000 people on Hatteras Island, a popular vacation spot that includes Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

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