Deadly Noel strengthens to hurricane after pounding Bahamas, Cuba

NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) -- Noel is now a hurricane speeding over the Atlantic between North Carolina and Bermuda. The National Hurricane Center says Noel won't make landfall in the United States. But North Carolina's Outer Banks and isolated areas of New England might see heavy rainfall. The storm is not expected to bring significant help to the drought that is plaguing North Carolina. Noel is a Category One hurricane with winds of 80 miles an hour. Forecasters say the storm is likely to get bigger, but not stronger, as it cruises to the north-northeast over the Atlantic. At 5 a.m. Noel was about 470 miles south of Cape Hatteras. It's moving north-northeast at 18 miles an hour. At least 115 people died when Noel slammed the Caribbean this week with heavy rains, flooding and mudslides. (Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)