Growing Gustav Blows Toward N.C.

Coastal residents buttoned down for heavy rains and winds Monday as the growing Subtropical Storm Gustav headed toward the North Carolina coast.

By mid-afternoon the center of storm was about 230 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, creating waves between 8 to 10 feet high that pounded the coast and sent several residents scrambling.

"It's not a good beach day," said Kitty Hawk resident Brock Williams.

Keith Matthews, an employee of the Avon Fishing Pier, said he spent the morning patching up part of a roof and tying down his outdoor furniture.

"The water is very churned up and huge waves are rolling in from off shore," he said. He added, optimistically: "We hope it just blows on through."

Parts of the Outer Banks began getting rain and wind gusts up to 26 mph from Gustav's outermost storms Monday afternoon.

Jack Beven at the National Hurricane Center tells CBS Radio News the storm has moved to within 255 miles of Cape Hatteras, N.C.

"There's a strong trough that's coming in that's supposed to pick the storm up and sweep it out to sea," he said. "However, if the trough is delayed a few hours or the storm moves a little faster, that's going to allow it get up the coast before it makes its turn."

"The current forecast track approaches the North Carolina Outer Banks some time on Tuesday, which is why we have tropical storm warnings in effect essentially for all the North Carolina coast from Cape Fear northward," he said.

"There is a chance that Gustav could make a transition to a full-blown tropical storm," said Beven, "and maybe be approaching hurricane intensity by the time it gets up to the coast, but that's not yet certain."

Emergency Management officials, however, warned residents to prepare for possible flooding as Gustav approached, but said the storm would not likely pose a huge threat.

"This will be no worse than a bad nor'easter for residents along the coast. But they need to be aware that it's coming and prepare for it," said Tom Ditt, a spokesman for the state Division of Emergency Management in Raleigh.

Dare County officials warned of flooding on N.C. 12, the only highway on Hatteras Island, at the time of high tides — 11:06 a.m. and 11:27 p.m. Tuesday. Public schools will be closed Tuesday, while county officials said primary elections would proceed.

Subtropical storms are not common, with typically only one or two forming every year, said Stacy Stewart, a hurricane specialist.

Unlike the more common tropical storms, which are formed by warm air, subtropical storms have a combination of warm air in the lower half of the weather system and cold air on top, Stewart said.

Gustav could also become a full tropical storm by landfall, he said.

The storm was forecast to approach the central North Carolina coast Monday night, then turn northeast and brush the Outer Banks on Tuesday.

Winds along the Outer Banks were expected to increase to 40 to 50 mph Monday night. On Tuesday, winds of 50 to 60 mph were possible.

Ditt said North Carolina could expect some beach erosion, sound-side flooding and flooding in low levels areas.

The National Park Service closed Cape Lookout National Seashore to tourists on Monday as a protective action. And the U.S. Coast Guard put its North Carolina units on high alert, telling them to prepare to evacuate nonessential personnel and military dependents.

Gustav is the seventh named storm of the 2002 Atlantic hurricane season, which began June 1 and ends Nov. 30.

So far, none of the named storms this season have become hurricanes. Tropical storms become hurricanes if their sustained winds hit 74 mph.