Hurricane Earl still Cat. 1 storm but ‘loses its punch’; Red Cross opens shelters

(Updated, 5 p.m.)

PROVIDENCE – The American Red Cross has opened four shelters in hurricane vulnerable communities in the southern part of the state, the organization announced Friday afternoon.

“With Earl downgraded to a Category 1 storm, we won’t be hit as hard as we expected,” said Nick Logothets, Emergency Service Director for the local Red Cross chapter. “But four towns have asked us to open shelters in case residents need to leave their homes.”

Emergency shelters are currently open in Middletown, Narragansett, South Kingstown and Tiverton; they may be closed, however, if no residents show by early evening.

Hurricane Earl was downgraded to a Category 1 storm, by the National Hurricane Center at 11 a.m.

According to the 5 p.m. update by the NHC, Hurricane Earl remains large but is “losing its punch.” Maximum sustained winds were measured at 80 mph and hurricane force winds are seen extending outward up to 70 miles.

There is still a hurricane warning in effect for Wood’s Hole eastward around Cape Cod to Sagamore Beach, Mass., including Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Island.

The tropical storm warning continues to be in effect for the New Haven, Conn., to the west of Wood’s Hole, Mass., including Block Island, as well as the to the north of Sagamore Beach to Hull, Mass.

Rhode Island state offices will remain open and employees who choose to leave early will be charged for the time, said a spokeswoman at the R.I. Emergency Management Agency’s Joint Information Center.

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation warned that motorists should conclude travel as conditions worsen, pointing to heavy rains causing local flooding and an increased likelihood for road closures due to debris.