As Hurricane Irene moves towards Ocracoke Island, residents and tourists have been placed under a mandatory evacuation at 5 a.m. Thursday morning.

Emergency officials have marked the popular North Carolina vacation spot along the path of the approaching hurricane, the first in several years to pose such a serious threat to the U.S.

“It’s a big storm,” said North Carolina Governor Bev Purdue. “We must all prepare for the worst,” she continued in a statement about the mandatory evacuation. more >>

Is it a coincidence that an earthquake that struck Virginia and rattled dozens of other states occurred amid Pat Robertson's "Sign of the Times" special on the "700 Club?"

"Are we in the last days?" Robertson asked during Wednesday morning's live online streaming of the "700 Club" as he continued his teaching on the "Sign of the Times."

"The earth moved," Robertson said ominously, describing the earthquake that struck Virginia Tuesday, "and then it moved all over this part of the country." more >>

Evacuations began Wednesday morning on a small North Carolina island as Hurricane Irene moved toward the East Coast, after leaving over 11,000 people displaced in the Dominican Republic.

Getting thousands of people off Ocracoke Island will not be an easy task because it is only accessible by boat. The North Carolina Island is home to about 800 year-round residents and the thousands of people that vacation there every summer.

According to The Associated Press, tourist evacuations began Wednesday around 5 a.m. and island residents have been told to evacuate on Thursday. The first ferry to leave the island had about a dozen cars on it and it was believed this would be the first test of whether people listen to warnings about the dangers of Irene. more >>

When one thinks of a hurricane, thoughts of floods, high winds, and devastation often flow through the stream of thoughts. But for Christian band Samestate, the love of God comes to mind.

New to the Sparrow Records family, Samestate – comprised of Dalton Diehl (lead vocals, guitar, piano), Darren Harms (guitar), Ryan Lytle (bass), Raymond Wyatt (guitar, synth) and Blake Leoni (drums) – are making waves with their latest single “Hurricane.”

Having had their first major label release with their self titled EP and in preparation for their full-length album The Alignment, the members of Samestate are no new comers to the music industry. They have toured extensively throughout the midwest for the past three years as independent artists. more >>

Emergency officials from Florida to the Carolinas are watching Hurricane Irene as it churns a destructive path through the Caribbean. The hurricane is the first to seriously threaten the United States in three years.

Forecasters predicted that Irene could become a disastrous Category 4 storm with winds over 131 mph before it is expected to hit the U.S. mainland. According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, Hurricane Irene should reach Category 3 strength on Tuesday.

As of 8:00 a.m. Tuesday, the core of Irene was headed toward the Turks and Caicos Islands and southeastern Bahamas the NHC stated. more >>

Tropical Storm Irene became the first hurricane in the 2011 Atlantic Season, moving over Puerto Rico and hitting the U.S. Caribbean territory with heavy winds and rain.

The storm left over a million Puerto Ricans without power and residents awoke Monday morning to flooded and debris-strewn streets. Hurricane Irene knocked down trees across the island and caused several rivers to overflow, according to The Associated Press.

There were no reported deaths or injuries, but Puerto Rico’s Governor Luis Fortuno declared a state of emergency and urged residents to stay inside to avoid fallen power lines and other hazards. more >>