A hurricane warning was issued Wednesday for a swath of North Carolina as Tropical Storm Arthur slowly moved north off the Florida coast toward the state, according to the Associated Press. North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory, who has declared a state of emergency for 25 coastal and adjoining island counties, told residents to heed warnings from officials and “Don’t put your stupid hat on.” Mandatory evacuations were issued for parts of the Outer Banks, where hundreds of thousands of tourists flock for vacation each summer. Voluntary evacuations were issued for other parts of the state as well. Forecasters said Tropical Storm Arthur could become a weak hurricane by Thursday, threatening Fourth of July celebrations along the East Coast on Friday.
