Hurricane Arthur forms, threatens North Carolina coast

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Surfers take advantage of waves spawned by Hurricane Arthur on Friday off Avalon, N.C. (Mark Wilson / Getty Images)

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Waves pushed ashore by Hurricane Arthur buckled a section of Highway 12 on Hatteras Island, N.C. (North Carolina Department of Transportation / Associated Press)

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Sailboats that broke free of their moorings because of the winds and waves from Hurricane Arthur, rest on the shore of Carrot Island in Beaufort, N.C. (Randall Hill / Associated Press)

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Pyrotechnicians Bryan Jackson, left, and Steve Neer check for water damage to fireworks barrels for Friday night’s show at the Nags Head Fishing Pier. (Hyunsoo Leo Kim / Associated Press)

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Power company trucks skirt encroaching waves driven by Hurricane Arthur along Highway 64 in Nags Head, N.C. (Mark Wilson / Getty Images)

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Katie Bender gets some assistance emptying her boot from Johanna Bender, left, on a flooded street in Manteo, N.C., after Hurricane Arthur passed. (Gerry Broome / Associated Press)

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A couple walk along a flooded street near the waterfront in Manteo, N.C. (Gerry Broome / Associated Press)

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A law enforcement officer watches as a pickup truck crosses a flooded stretch of road in Kill Devil Hills, N.C., after Hurricane Arthur began moving offshore and away from North Carolina’s Outer Banks early Friday. (Gerry Broome / Associated Press)

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Rising water surrounds a car advertising a seafood restaurant in Nags Head, N.C., as Hurricane Arthur passes through the area. (Gerry Broome / Associated Press)

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Vehicles navigate a flooded Highway 64 as Hurricane Arthur pushes water over the road in Nags Head, N.C. (Gerry Broome / Associated Press)

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An intersection in North Myrtle Beach is flooded as Hurricane Arthur heads toward North Carolina’s Outer Banks. (Janet Blackmon Morgan / McClatchy-Tribune)

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Hurricane Arthur can be seen from the International Space Station as it moves up the East Coast of the United States. (NASA / Getty Images)

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Lifeguards and firefighters set down a lifeguard stand at Atlantic Beach, N.C., as Hurricane Arthur approaches. (Chris Seward / Associated Press)

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Peter LeWando puts plywood sheets over the windows of his apartment in Avon, N.C. (Steve Earley / Associated Press)

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A steady stream of traffic, mostly vacationers, heads north on NC 12, the main road on Hatteras Island, N.C. Residents were ordered to evacuate the island in advance of Hurricane Arthur. (Steve Earley / Associated Press)

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A sign warns tourists and residents headed to Emerald Isle, N.C., about Hurricane Arthur’s approach. (John Sudbrink / Associated Press)

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Surfers walk the beach as Hurricane Arthur churns at Wrightsville Beach, N.C. (Mike Spencer / Associated Press)

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Mike Stanley, owner of Bougue Inlet Fishing Pier in Emerald Isle, N.C., installs hurricane shutters on the windows of his rental properties before the arrival of Hurricane Arthur. (John Sudbrink / Associated Press)

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A sign above the Thomas Rhodes Bridge in Wilmington, N.C., alerts motorists as residents along the coast brace for the approach of Hurricane Arthur. (Ken Blevins / Associated Press)

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A car loaded with bikes, kayaks and surfboards leaves Hatteras Island, N.C., at dawn on Thursday. The island is under a mandatory evacuation order because of approaching Hurricane Arthur. (Steve Earley / Associated Press)

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The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse shines on Hatteras Island, N.C., before dawn on Thursday. (Steve Earley / Associated Press)

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Residents and visitors leave Hatteras Island, N.C., heeding a mandatory evacuation warning due to the approaching storm. (Mark Wilson / Getty Images)

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Clouds and rain move in as a beachgoer walks along the shore at Carolina Beach, N.C., early Thursday. (Mike Spencer / Associated Press)

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Families pack up their camping gear before complying with mandatory evacuation orders in Rodanthe, N.C., on Hatteras Island. (Mark Wilson / Getty Images)

By Richie Duchon, Javier Panzar

July 3, 2014 3:54 AM PT

The National Weather Service early Thursday morning declared Tropical Storm Arthur a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami extended a hurricane warning from Surf City, N.C., just south of the Marine Corps base at Camp Lejune, north to the Virginia border. The warning also included Pamlico Sound and Eastern Albemarle Sound.

The storm is expected to deliver its worst blow to North Carolina's coast in the early hours of the July 4 holiday, dropping anywhere from two to six inches of rain and causing estimated 2- to 4-foot storm surges along the coast, according to the National Weather Service. Wind gusts could reach up to 105 mph, forecasters said.

Key (Click map for details)

Current location

Forecast locations

Forecast track

Potential track area

Storm warning

The storm is the first named hurricane of the Atlantic season.

Local officials issued a mandatory evacuation order Wednesday for residents and visitors on Hatteras Island, a small barrier island off North Carolina's northern coast.

Dare County officials told people to evacuate during daylight hours on Thursday "before the effects of [the storm] begin to bring high winds, rough seas, dangerous rip currents and the potential for water and sand overwash on NC Highway 12."

Gov. Pat McCrory has declared a state of emergency for coastal counties.

McCrory told the public and tourists visiting for the Fourth of July weekend not to underestimate the storm and to avoid going into the water.

Hurricane Arthur forms, threatens North Carolina coast

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