Hurricane Irene could become Category 4 by Thursday 150,000 tourists in North Carolina urged to leave as the hurricane nears

Forecasters say Hurricane Irene that is taking aim at the East Coast could become a Category 4 monster by Thursday.

The National Hurricane Center late Wednesday said Irene approached the northwestern Bahamas as a Category 3 storm with winds at 120 mph.

The head of the National Emergency Management Agency in the Bahamas said he was getting what he called disturbing initial reports of damages from Irene in two southern islands Wednesday night.

Capt. Stephen Russell tells The Associated Press that at least two settlements have been devastated on Acklins and Crooked islands. Russells says an official there reports that 90 percent of the homes in the settlements have been severely damaged or destroyed. Several hundred people live on each island. No injuries have been reported.

The two islands were among the first to be hit Wednesday as the hurricane made its way up the island chain. Tourists fled the storm and major cruise lines canceled Bahamas stops.

Forecasters say the storm could strengthen quickly over the next day.

Evacuations urged
Hurricane and tropical storm watches will likely be required for parts of the coast of the Carolinas by early Thursday.

Winds in Category 4 storms are more than 131 mph.

Earlier Wednesday, officials in one North Carolina county urged tourists there to evacuate starting Thursday. Forecasters warn Irene could clip North Carolina's coast on Saturday and then threaten the densely populated Northeast, including New York, starting on Sunday.

450 cruise passengers stranded in Hurricane Irene's wake

"It's in the warmest water in the most favorable environment for hurricanes so it could get stronger," said Bill Reid, director of the National Hurricane Center.

Forecasters see Irene striking North Carolina's Outer Banks region on Saturday evening and then taking a coast-hugging track up the mid-Atlantic and New England coastline.

Hurricane-force winds extend 60 miles from Irene's center so even a track off the coast could do damage on land. Hurricane-force winds extend 230 miles out.