Hanna Threatens, But All Eyes on Ike

Southeastern states are taking precautions for the impending landfall of Hanna, which is expected to arrive as a low-level hurricane on Saturday, the AP reports. But planners and the East Coast populace are also looking down the road to Ike, which remains a Category 4 hurricane charging toward the Bahamas. “Ike is a very scary storm,” said a spokesman for a North Carolina energy concern. It's too early, however, to predict its path.

The threat of Hanna, blamed for more than 90 deaths in Haiti, had vacationers clearing out of South Carolina. “We've seen people boarding up today and the Coast Guard helicopters flying overhead, and decided it was time to go,” said one. Neighboring North Carolina has declared an emergency to clear the way for emergency aid, as has Virginia. In Massachusetts, officials called Hanna “a good dress rehearsal for Ike.” (More Hurricane Hanna stories.)