Hurricane Erin prep, Rudee Park design approved, 1,100+ troops deployed to DC: Sunrise Brief

TOP STORIES: Hurricane Erin prep, Rudee Park design approved, 1,100+ troops deployed to DC

1. North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein declared a state of emergency on Tuesday ahead of Hurricane Erin's arrival.

   Hurricane Erin prompts mandatory evacuation order for Off-Road Area of Corolla

   The governor told residents to make "final preparations along the coast" as Hurricane Erin is forecast to make a northward turn — as of 5 a.m. Wednesday, the hurricane's center was tracked to be 455 miles SSE of Cape Hatteras. Despite forecasts expecting the storm to remain over water, it will still bring coastal flooding threats and ocean overwash to our stretch of the east coast. Currituck County officials issued a mandatory evacuation order for the Off-Road Area of Corolla, starting 9 a.m. Wednesday.

   Coast Guard East District Units said they are "actively staging" in preparation for Hurricane Erin's arrival. Dominion Energy crews are currently working to reinforce power poles as well as stockpiling equipment in Kitty Hawk, according to officials. They are also preparing to handle the expected wind gusts in coastal regions, specifically Virginia Beach, the Outer Banks, eastern Elizabeth City and the Williamston area.
   

2. City leaders approved a design plan for the future of Rudee Loop on Tuesday, its total cost exceeds $42 million.

   VB city leaders move forward on surface-level parking design of Rudee Park

   This development effort aims to transform the area into "Rudee Park." Both of the proposed designs included amenities such as a beach village overlooking the ocean, a jetty walkway, a community lawn, and a shared-use path connecting to the Virginia Beach Trail. However, the approved design opted for surface-level parking — the alternative would have required building a parking garage, raising the total cost to $70 million.

   Regarding funding for this project, a Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation official said their national consultants "feel relatively confident that $20 million could be raised in a capital campaign." The new park will be constructed at the same level as the boardwalk to protect it from major flooding incidents. The same Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation official said that ideally — assuming perfect conditions — the park would open in the next five years.
   

3. National Guard troops from Ohio, West Virginia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Louisiana have been sent to Washington, D.C., bringing the total deployed to over 1,100.

   These 6 states have agreed to send National Guard troops to DC

   These deployments come amid the Trump administration's effort to combat "rampant" crime in the nation's capital. However, Justice Department statistics contradict the president's narrative. They reveal that violent crime in the city is actually at a 30-year low, currently down 26% when compared to the same time last year. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser questioned the operation's purpose, suggesting it is more about immigration enforcement than reducing crime.

   On the other hand, President Donald Trump praised this effort, claiming that his orders made D.C. safe in just a matter of days.

   Other federal agencies also show an increased presence around the city, including Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who have conducted a number of arrests of undocumented immigrants and seized firearms.

This morning's weather: Strong wind and coastal flooding expected from Hurricane Erin

Meteorologist Myles Henderson says we should expect partly to mostly cloudy skies today with scattered showers. Expect highs in the mid 80s, but it will feel more like the low to mid 90s with the humidity. Winds will start to pick up through the day.

Hurricane Erin update, as of 5 a.m. Wednesday:

Hurricane Erin remains a Category 2 storm as it begins to sway towards the east coast. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect from the NC/VA border to Chincoteague, VA. A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for Cape Lookout to Duck, NC.

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A turn toward the north is expected today, followed by a northeast motion on Thursday. On the forecast track, the center of Erin will move over the western Atlantic between the U.S. east coast and Bermuda today through early Friday and then pass south of Atlantic Canada Friday and Saturday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 100 mph with higher gusts. Some strengthening is possible during the next day or so. Weakening is likely to begin by Friday, but Erin is forecast to remain a hurricane into the weekend.

For the latest weather updates, watch Myles live on News 3 This Morning here.

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