Carcieri: ‘We dodged one’

CRANSTON, R.I. (WPRI) - With wind from Hurricane Earl becoming less of a concern for Rhode Island, Gov. Donald L. Carcieri said the main worry now is heavy bands of rain that could wreak havoc on state highways.

"We dodged one," he said. "The day isn't over, but right now everything looks like we dodged this."

• Live Blog: Real-time Earl Updates

Carcieri, speaking at an afternoon news conference at the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency Command Readiness Center, said though the state could still see some wind gusts leading to downed power lines, they are more concerned with sudden and heavy rainfall making highways dangerous.

• See the latest on Earl's Path

"Our concern now is water impact on our highways particularly on Route 95," Carcieri said. "The State Police have additional resources. We know what the areas are along the interstate that are prone to flooding."

Rhode Island State Police Capt. Darren Delaney said those areas of Route 95 tend to be on the southern end near the Connecticut border.

Carcieri is urging motorists to stay off the roads.

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation also has a hotline open for motorists to report blocked roadways due to debris or water. That number is 401-222-2378.

State officials also said they are concerned with Labor Day Weekend beachgoers lured to the ocean with sunny skies Saturday.

• Related: Earl forces some beaches to close
• Related: How to escape rip currents

"We have to monitor the beaches and make sure no one is doing anything completely silly," Carcieri said.

Department of Environment Management Director Michael Sullivan said his agency will close beaches if the water is unsafe.

Carcieri said for now, the beaches are scheduled to be open, but people have to wary of rip currents and rough seas.

State officials said Block Island will see the worst of the winds. But despite that, an unexpected ferry run went through Friday morning.

They said preliminary numbers indicate there are fewer than 5,000 people left on the island. That's down from 8,000 on Thursday.

Newport is also a focus for emergency officials, according to Carcieri, where National Grid has trucks on standby waiting to address downed power lines.

Richard Serino, deputy administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency , said with leaves on the trees, limbs are more likely to topple in high winds.

Serino is touring the northeast meeting with state officials and offering assistance.

Before arriving in Cranston, he had a meeting with Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. He said Cape Cod and the Islands are their greatest concern and have shipped FEMA resources out of Vermont into Massachusetts based on the latest forecasts.