Scotland County residents have little to fear from Hurricane Earl unless the storm makes a "drastic" change in direction, according to county officials.

The hurricane is expected to remain a major weather event for the next several days, possibly impacting the North Carolina coast early Friday morning. Strong winds and rains are possible along the Outer Banks and sounds, while tropical storm force winds may be felt as far inland as Interstate 95.

North Carolina Emergency Management is monitoring Hurricane Earl while assessing staffing and equipment needs to help counties respond to any effects from the storm. While no resources have been prepositioned at this point, Gov. Bev Perdue said the state is prepared to move those assets very rapidly if needed.

"Hopefully this storm will move through the area quickly, so that folks planning to go to our beaches this weekend can still enjoy the long Labor Day weekend," Perdue said. "But, above all, we want everyone to be safe."

In Scotland County, EMS Director Roylin Hammond said residents should experience "nothing out of the ordinary" while the hurricane passes to our east.

"We're monitoring the situation, and have been in regular contact with North Carolina Emergency Management via conference calls," Hammond said. "The storm has been downgraded to a category three, and the folks at the National Weather Service are anticipating a cold front coming down Thursday from the Great Lakes region that should bump into Earl and send it in a northeasterly direction. Unless we see the storm take a drastic change in direction toward the west, we don't even expect rain west of Highway 17."

Carol Ann Lentz, executive director of the Scotland County Chapter of the American Red Cross, said that while the county is safe from the effects of Earl, agency volunteers are on standby to assist in other areas if needed.

"Earlier in the week we had a 'call down' of volunteers to learn who would be available in case the hurricane affected Scotland County," Lentz said. "Once the threat of a local impact had passed, we then made a list of those who could assist in areas that might be in the storm's path. We are currently on standby, monitoring the situation to the east and ready to respond if we are needed."

September is North Carolina's peak month for hurricanes. When storms threaten, state officials say that both residents and vacationers should monitor weather forecasts and listen to NOAA Weather Radio and the local news for severe weather updates and to follow any directions provided by local officials.

North Carolina has proclaimed September as Emergency Preparedness Month to encourage families, businesses and schools to take steps to prepare themselves for hurricanes and all other types of emergencies.

For more information visit the National Hurricane Center at www.nhc.noaa.gov.