Hurricane warning for swath of North Carolina
By BRUCE SMITH, Associated Press
Jul 2, 2014 4:02 PM CDT
Stefano Campodonico, of Miami, body boards a small wave in Miami Beach, Fla., Tuesday, July 1, 2014. Tropical Storm Arthur has formed off the central Florida coast, becoming the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. The National Hurricane Center in Miami says a tropical storm watch is...   (Associated Press)

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Forecasters have issued a hurricane warning for a large swath of the North Carolina coast as Tropical Storm Arthur moves northward.

The warning was issued Wednesday for Surf City north to Duck. The warning includes the Pamlico and Eastern Albemarle sounds.

The first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season has prompted officials, hotel owners and would-be vacationers as far north as New England to carefully watch forecasts.

On Wednesday afternoon, Arthur was moving north at about 7 mph (11 kph). It was centered about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south-southwest of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

Arthur had nearly reached hurricane strength, with maximum sustained winds around 70 mph (113 kph). A storm is considered a hurricane when those winds measure at least 74 mph (119 kph).

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