(Jonathan Serrie)

On the flight to Norfolk, two businessmen complained that news reporters were blowing the threat of Hurricane Earl out of proportion.

I happened to be sitting behind them and silently took the criticism to heart. Nevertheless, as soon as my producer David Lewkowict and I arrived on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, we stocked up on supplies at the local supermarket — just in case the storm veers from its current trajectory out at sea. Judging from the relatively few bottles left in the water aisle, we’re not the only ones playing it safe.