The last ferries have pulled away from North Carolina's barrier islands, as Hurricane Earl closes in with winds near 125 miles an hour.

The East Coast all the way up to Canada is on alert for what could be a blustery Labor Day weekend.

Earl weakened slightly as it moved toward the coast, but it's still a dangerous Category 3 storm.

After the storm passes the Outer Banks Thursday night, there's expected to be a similar close approach later this week for the eastern tip of New York's Long Island, and for parts of coastal New England.

Forecasters say Earl could pass within 30 miles of Nantucket Island, Mass., bringing wind gusts up to 100 mph. A town official says, "We're preparing for the worst."

One forecaster says it's the strongest hurricane to threaten the Northeast since Hurricane Bob in 1991.