Beryl expected to stay offshore of N.C.

ERIN GARTNER
Associated Press Writer

RALEIGH, N.C. — The forecast indicated that Tropical Storm Beryl wouldn't develop into a hurricane and that its worst wind and rain would remain offshore. But that was of little comfort to restaurant manager Beth Barb.

"If I know something's going to be bad, I'll leave," said Barb, 51, the night manager at Bob's Grill in Kill Devil Hills.

Barb, an Outer Banks resident for 25 years, knows from experience tropical storms can be rough, bringing strong winds and even tornadoes. As of Tuesday night, she was still deciding whether to leave her Collington Harbor house that sits on stilts.

At 5 a.m. EDT, Beryl, the second named storm of the season, was centered about 110 miles east southeast of Cape Hatteras. It was moving north at 7 mph with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and some higher gusts.

Some strengthening was possible over the next 24 hours, the National Hurricane Center said.

The storm appeared unlikely to build into a hurricane and likely to move parallel to the East Coast instead of heading ashore, said Richard Pasch, a hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

"There will be some increase in wind and surf," he said. "But we're not seeing this to be a major event."

Despite that, forecasters left a tropical storm watch in effect until the storm takes a more northward turn, which could be as soon as early Wednesday.

For all these reasons, Dare County officials weren't taking precautions.

"We'll see some rain and wind, certainly, on Wednesday but we're not expecting problems, certainly not anything that would concern our visitors or residents," Dare County spokeswoman Dorothy Toolan said. "Thursday looks like it will be a good day to remain indoors."

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