Hurricane Arthur has been upgraded to a Category 2 storm and it's eye is about to make landfall near Cape Lookout.
Arthur's winds strengthened to 100 mph at 9 p.m.
Arthur is expected to travel over the Outer Banks over the next few hours and move back out over the water until it reaches Eastern Canada. There will be damage on the Outer Banks.
According to Bay News 9 Meteorologist Diane Kacmarik, there is no change to the forecast track.
In addition to a Hurricane Warning for the coast of North Carolina, a Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Nantucket Island and Cape Cod from Provincetown to Chatham. The center will pass by close to coast. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Nova Scotia from Port Maitland to Point Aconi.
The tropical storm warning has been discontinued south of Cape Fear.
Residents on North Carolina's Outer Banks and Hatteras Island have been ordered to evacuate.
The storm was upgraded early Thursday and threatened to give North Carolina a glancing blow on Independence Day, prompting the governor to warn vacationers along the coast not to risk their safety by trying to salvage their picnics and barbecues.
All tropical storm watches in Florida have been canceled.
Arthur is moving away from Central Florida but as with any tropical system, we will also have to monitor the risk of possible beach erosion, dangerous rip currents and rough surf.
The islands are linked by North Carolina Route 12, which has been sliced apart twice in recent years as storms cut temporary channels from the ocean to the sound. Hatteras Island is particularly vulnerable to storm surge and flooding and the road is easily blocked by sand and water.
In addition to the hurricane warning, tropical storm warnings were in effect for coastal areas in South Carolina and Virginia.