An evacuation has started in the US as residents of eastern beaches wait for Hurricane Earl.

US authorities have ordered the evacuation of thousands of tourists and residents in North Carolina to prepare for a worst case scenario.

Hurricane Earl, the strongest Atlantic storm of 2010, is expected to lash vulnerable east coast communities over the next few days as a category three storm.

Earl is expected to spin out of the Bahamas before heading for coastal North Carolina, with landfall possible early Friday.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Center has said Earl could possibly reach New England before dying down.

Earl pummeled the Bahamas and eastern Caribbean on Wednesday with rain and heavy winds that downed trees, damaged homes and snapped power lines.