Hurricane Earl Races Toward New England Waters

Hurricane Earl has turned slightly to the east and weakened somewhat, but is still expected to wallop the New England coast.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said early Friday that Earl is about 465 miles south-southwest of Nantucket and moving north-northeast at about 18 miles per hour. It is expected to move within about 50 miles of Nantucket late Friday night as a category 1 storm.

The National Weather Service is forecasting winds of 45 to 55 mph on the island with gusts of up to 75 mph. On Cape Cod, winds of 35 to 45 mph with gusts of up to 65 mph are expected.

Massachusetts and Rhode Island have declared states of emergency.

A hurricane watch remains in effect from Westport to Hull. The rest of the New England coast remains under tropical storm warnings and watches.