Storm Watch Along East Coast of Us

Tropical storm warnings were extended along the US Atlantic coast today with states from Georgia to New Jersey braced for severe weather, including a potential hurricane.

Weather forecasters warned that tropical storm Hanna, which killed at least 137 people in Haiti, could become a hurricane before its expected arrival on US shores today.

Tropical storm warnings are in effect from Altamaha Sound in Georgia north to Chincoteague, Virginia, just south of Maryland state. A tropical storm watch is in effect for areas between Chincoteague and Sandy Hook, New Jersey, including Washington.

A tropical storm warning means tropical storm conditions are expected within 24 hours. A watch means they are expected within 36 hours.

A hurricane watch remains in effect for Edisto Beach, South Carolina, to the Outer Banks of North Carolina near the Virginia border.

As of 5am EDT (9am BST), Hanna had maximum sustained winds near 65mph and was centered about 430 miles south of Wilmington, North Carolina. The storm was accelerating and moving north-west at 20mph.

Some south-eastern states declared an emergency and officials urged residents to head inland.

Emergency planners are monitoring hurricane Ike, which weakened to a category 3 storm early today but was still considered dangerous by the US national hurricane centre.

The federal emergency management agency (Fema) is sending hundreds of truckloads of meals, water and other supplies to the east coast and leaving resources on the gulf coast in case Ike heads there.

"Ike looks like it's a very, very dangerous storm," said the Fema administrator, David Paulison.

Haiti's government more than doubled Hanna's death toll yesterday to 137. It killed 80 people in the flooded region of Gonaives and 22 in areas immediately surrounding the port, according to the ministry of the interior and the civil protection department.

Thousands of people on the island are homeless and agriculture and transport networks have been washed away, prompting calls for emergency international aid.

Haiti, vulnerable because of its flimsy dwellings and soil erosion, has been the worst affected area of the Caribbean and US gulf coast. Parts of Cuba have been devastated. Fidel Castro compared the impact to a nuclear attack.

The wave of storms began three weeks ago with tropical storm Fay, followed last week by hurricane Gustav, which killed dozens.