GRNLive Foreign Correspondents Network

Guardian -  Tens of thousands of people were told to evacuate islands off North Carolina last night and hundreds of thousands more warned to expect hurricane-force winds and heavy rain across the US north-eastern coast as hurricane Earl came within about 85 miles of the shore, bringing heavy rain and strong winds. More states along the east coast declared emergencies as shelters were prepared and residents as far north as New England were told to expect fallen power lines and trees over the Labour Day holiday weekend. Despite signs that the hurricane's force was weakening and its centre would miss much of the US mainland, families from North Carolina through Virginia to Delaware were warned to act on their own disaster plans, including evacuating exposed islands and boats. Warnings were also issued for part of Nova Scotia in Canada. Those living on other parts of the heavily populated coast, including favourite holiday areas around Cape Cod and Nantucket Island, were told to prepare similar plans, while those in New York's Long Island, Connecticut and Maine were told Earl may only be a tropical storm by the time it reached them. The warnings from the National Hurricane Centre in Miami came as forecasters hoped the main force of the hurricane which caused havoc in the north-east Caribbean earlier this week would remain off shore as it hit cooler waters, and would curve away from mid-Atlantic states such as New Jersey.

GRN correspondents Jacqui Goddard and Donald Wood in Miami are available for coverage.