CHERRY POINT, N.C. - Strong winds rising above Hurricane Earl could cause some damage further inland to areas in Craven County.
With a threat that gale force winds could push their way inland, Marines are upgrading their storm operations.
Wednesday, Marines at Cherry Point are upgrading the status to destructive weather condition three.
"All through the hurricane season, we're in a state of readiness," said Second Lt. Megan Long, Cherry Point PIO.
During hurricane season, Marines at Cherry Point stay in destructive weather condition five, a stage of precaution to keep safety on everyone's minds.
As Earl is inching closer to the coast, they're stepping operations up a notch.
If need be, they can move families, Marines, and aircraft to safety in a matter of minutes.
"We're in that prep plan because when its time to act we can do it immediately," said Long. She says its still just a planning phase, the worst case would be a condition one, if the base takes a direct hit from Earl.
Still they're inspecting and preparing to stock shelters in case gale force winds cause serious damage to barracks or family housing.
"Residents of the base and the different base housing areas have been told to start securing items that they normally keep outside whether its grills or lawnmowers or trampolines just making sure they're either inside or in some way tied down," said Long.
For now, Long says flooding isn't the main concern.
Marines are expecting destructive winds to hit within 48 hours. They'll upgrade to condition two and evacuate aircraft if the threat gets closer.
That could be sometime tomorrow afternoon should Hurricane Earl take a turn for the worst.
Highway 70 is one of the few evacuation routes for folks leaving the Crystal Coast so traffic congestion is still a pressing issue for Craven County.
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