'Irene' evacuation orders bumped up for East Coast

Thousands were fleeing an exposed strip of coastal villages and beaches off North Carolina yesterday, as Irene approached, threatening to become the most powerful hurricane to hit the East Coast in seven years.

Hours after a hurricane watch was issued for much of the state's coast, emergency officials expanded evacuation orders to include hundreds of thousands of tourists and locals in four coastal counties. The areas include the barrier island chain known as the Outer Banks, which is expected to take the brunt of Irene's first hit over the weekend.

Widespread damage

The storm was pounding The Bahamas with widespread damage reported on at least two southern islands but no immediate reports of major injuries or deaths. A settlement known as Lovely Bay was destroyed while at least 40 homes were badly damaged on the island of Mayaguana, emergency officials said.

The National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said Irene is expected to strengthen to a category four hurricane.

The United States has since issued a travel warning for The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Hurricane Irene, with winds of 185km/h (115mph), has been hammering The Bahamas. "This travel warning is being issued to urge US citizens to carefully consider the potential risk of travel to The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands at this time due to the threat posed by Hurricane Irene," said the State Department in a statement.