Forecast data from the National Hurricane Center anticipates a northwestern track for Dennis. Computer models predict the storm could come to shore near the N.C./S.C. border in 72 hours. Dennis is expected to grow stronger as it nears the shore, with winds possibly reaching 90 to 100 miles per hour.

But the hurricane center cautions residents as far south as Miami to follow Dennis closely.

With hurricanes Bonnie and Fran still in their minds, residents of the N.C. coast are preparing for the next storm’s approach calmly.

“We’re no stranger to hurricanes,”said Douglas Erickson, director of emergency services for the Cape Fear chapter of the American Red Cross. “We have been hit by three strong storms in three years. People are starting to get used to it.”

“We are going to feel something. The way things have been going, it’s gonna hit us,” said Dan Snyder of Boiling Springs Lake in Brunswick county. He came to Wilmington Wednesday to buy boards to cover the windows at his home, six miles from the beach. Although he was waiting for this weekend to purchase food and other goods, Snyder was already stocking up on wood, batteries and fuel.

By Wednesday evening, home supply stores were crowded with customers looking for storm essentials:plywood and tape for windows, flashlights, batteries, generators and fuel.

“The rush has started earlier this year. The mood is different, we have more time to get ready,” said Bran andrews, assistant manager of Wilmington’s Home Depot store. “I think people are more prepared this time.”

Store managers anticipated the approach of Dennis and have already ordered extra shipments of storm supplies. Before Hurricane Bonnie last August, many outlets were choked with people who had waited until evacuations were ordered to buy important items.

Andrew credits storm-awareness programs such as Project Impact, sponsored by FEMA and local disaster relief officials, which educate residents on how to prepare for strong storms by reducing the risk of damage to their homes and property.

“There will be those who wait until the last minute to shop. We’ll stay open as long as it’s safe,” Andrews said. He expects most of the equipment his store has, including 200 gas-powered generators, to be gone long before Dennis hits land.

Grocery stores are also noticing a pre-hurricane shopping rush. Employees at a Wilmington Winn-Dixie store said customers are already buying large amounts of non-perishable food and other items. Supplies of canned meats, bottled water and batteries are dwindling on shelves.

According to Douglas Erickson, local Red Cross volunteers and shelter staff are ready to be called into service if Dennis continues to head for the area.

A communications network of cellular phones and pagers, which bypass easily damaged ground lines, has been set up. Other storm-readiness activities are proceeding smoothly.

But will they be necessary?

“Right now, it’s really hard to anticipate if and when we would open shelters,” he said. “The national Red Cross is ready in the event of a major emergency.”

New Hanover County and Wilmington officials could not be reached for comment about possible evacuations. No hurricane watches or warnings have been announced at present, but if Dennis continues to move toward shore, an advisory of some sort can seems likely within the next 24 hours.

At 8 a.m. today, the center of Dennis was near 25.6 north latitude and 75.6 west longitude, or about 120 miles east of Nassau in the Bahamas. The storm had sustained winds of 80 mph, making it a Category 1 storm.

State troopers have been put on alert, as have emergency management personnel, Moore said. Officials opened an emergency operations center in Onslow County.

While surfers off the Outer Banks rode huge waves generated by the far-off storm, some residents of the Wilmington area went to supply stores for plywood, batteries and lanterns.