Arthur Now Hurricane: Takes Aim at Carolina Coast

COLUMBIA, SC(WOLO, ABC NEWS)–The July 4th Holiday could be a wet and windy one as Hurricane Arthur churns towards the coast. Arthur, the first named storm of the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season, is gaining strength. The storm system, experiencing sustained winds of 75 mph, was centered about 340 miles southwest of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, at 5 a.m., and is moving north at about 9 mph, according to the National Weather Service‘s National Hurricane Center. A hurricane warning now stretches through most of North Carolina into the Virginia Beach area, with a tropical storm warning in effect for South Carolina, southern North Carolina and the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. In South Carolina, officials are warning about rain, wind and potential rip tides. Mandatory evacuations will be underway for Hatteras Island, North Carolina, with a state of emergency for the state‘s coastal areas.