Leaving hardly any doubt, hurricane Irene is headed directly for Outer Banks; Duke issues PR handout to assuage concerns

Tomorrow on Fact Checker: serious questions at the Duke Global Health Institute.

Following Update at 2:08 PM

✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ Hurricane Irene strengthened this morning to a Category 3 storm -- and computer models took some of the wobble out of its path. Hardly teasing anymore with the possibility of moving further east, and thus over the ocean off North Carolina but directly at states north, the National Hurricane Center says Irene is most likely headed for landfall on the Outer Banks.

Before landfall, it is expected to soak up more power from the warm Gulf Stream, and grow to Category 4.

Category 3: "devastating."
Category 4: "catastrophic."

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/sshws_table.shtml

Evaculations have begun on Okracoke Island at the southern tip of the Outer Banks, reachable only by three ferry boat lines.

✔ At Duke, this from PR: "We are monitoring the storm closely and are in discussions with the Marine Lab in Beaufort about contingency plans, if needed," said Kyle Cavanaugh, Duke's emergency coordinator and vice president for administration.

Text, although this handout does not say much:

http://today.duke.edu/2011/08/ireneupdate

At the very least, Durham can expect drenching rains and brisk winds.