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Hurricane Dorian Worries Southern Travelers on Northern Interstate

DORRANCE TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Interstates in northeastern and central Pennsylvania are usually crowded on Labor Day with many drivers winding up weekends or ho...

DORRANCE TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Interstates in northeastern and central Pennsylvania are usually crowded on Labor Day with many drivers winding up weekends or holiday vacations.

Because of Hurricane Dorian, the highways saw plenty of license plates from states like South Carolina and Florida, driven by those getting out ahead of the storm.

At the rest stop on Interstate 81 north near Dorrance in Luzerne County, Debbie and Bruce Mulfinger from North Carolina made a stop on their way to upstate New York. They're taking it easy because they had to board up their home on the North Carolina coast.

"We were going to spend a couple of days resting up for our trip and then yesterday, I found myself putting up shutters and climbing ladders and putting in a pretty heavy day's work," Bruce Mulfinger said.

Darryl Brand is from a community just north of West Palm Beach, Florida which last week looked like the place Hurricane Dorian would make a direct hit. He and his wife hoped to visit Maine, but unless they're sure the storm will make a northern turn, Luzerne County may be as far north as they get.

"It's been more than agonizing," Brand said. "We don't want to go too far away in case we have to turn around and head back."

We also found drivers from Pennsylvania and other northeastern states on I-81 north who cut short their vacations to the Carolinas and Florida because of the threat of the hurricane.

Patty Hayden is from upstate New York. She cut short a visit to her sister in coastal South Carolina while her brother-in-law drove her back to her home near Albany.

"The trains stopped, so I couldn't take my train back. They had no planes going," Hayden said.

Debbie and Bruce Mulfinger worry about their neighborhood near Wilmington, North Carolina. Their community was devasted by the winds and flooding from Hurricane Florence last September.

"Our neighbors across the street still need to get their roof fixed," Debbie Mulfinger said.

The Mulfingers will try to enjoy their vacation while worrying about what kind of shape they'll find their houses when they return.

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