Hurricane Earl is expected to miss Brunswick County as it churns toward the Carolinas coast today.

The category-4 storm is expected to have greater impact on the Outer Banks area, where mandatory evacuations have been implemented.

N.C. Gov. Bev Perdue, along with governors in Virginia and Maryland, also has declared a state of emergency.

By the time Earl approaches this region Thursday night, the hurricane is expected to turn north, which will minimize its effects on the Brunswick County coastal area.