Islanders prepare for Hurricane Earl by picking up necessary supplies. (CBC)

Preparations for Hurricane Earl are ramping up in P.E.I.

The Canadian Hurricane Centre in Halifax is telling Islanders to get ready for hurricane-force winds and rain sometime Saturday afternoon.

Chris Fogarty, program supervisor for the hurricane centre, said Islanders shouldn't be fooled by the fact Earl has been downgraded from a Category 4 storm to Category 1.

Fogarty said the path of the storm is still tracking to hit land in southwestern Nova Scotia and southeastern New Brunswick. And he says P.E.I. will definitely feel the effects of the storm.

"People should be prepared for hurricane-force wind gusts — the type of wind gusts that could cause trees to come down, inevitably resulting in utility lines coming down. Power outages, flooding could be an issue during that two- to three-hour period of heavy bursts of rain," said Fogarty.

"The ground is relatively dry, so that water may run above the surface and scour out. So there may be some road washouts or shoulder washouts."

Tropical storm warnings have been extended across the Island. Winds gusting from 90 to 110 km/h are expected.

Anywhere from 40 to 70 millimetres of rain is also expected, with as much as 25 mm falling in a one-hour period.

Higher-than-normal water levels are possible in the Northumberland Strait, although storm surges aren't expected to be as bad as they could be, because the tidal cycle is at its low ebb.

Arriving or leaving could be difficult

Officials with the Charlottetown Airport, the Confederation Bridge and the Nova Scotia-P.E.I. ferry crossing are all keeping a close eye on Earl's approach.

Air Canada and WestJet are allowing customers to rebook flights free of charge.

Meanwhile, Northumberland Ferries said the crossing from Wood Islands, P.E.I., and Caribou, N.S., is not cancelled for now, but the company will watch conditions closely.

Officials with the Confederation Bridge said they will shut the bridge down if winds are higher than 110 km an hour.

City workers on call

Hurricane Juan, which swept through the region seven years ago, taught people they don't take hurricanes or tropical storms as seriously as they should, said Bill Lawlor, director of disaster management for the Atlantic Region of the Red Cross.

"Don't be complacent. Don't think, 'I live in P.E.I., this isn't going to happen to me. This will be fine, we've gone through dozens of storms over the years,'" said Lawlor. "Many people said that about Hurricane Juan [in 2003]. They didn't prepare or plan anything and the next morning there was a lot of damage."

Lawlor said Islanders should plan as if they will have to live without a home for 72 hours. They should fill up vehicles with gas because pumps might not be working after a storm. And have cash in hand in case banking machines won't operate in power outages.

Also, the P.E.I. Office of Public Safety issued a special notice for visitors to the Island to monitor media updates on the storm and have emergency supplies ready.

The Department of Tourism is not forcing campers to leave provincial campgrounds, but it's advising them to keep an eye on the forecast and pack up if necessary.

Campers who decide to leave early or cancel a visit will receive a full refund, the department said.

Avoid downed power lines

Visitor information centres and the province's reservation line will help people find accommodations.

The City of Charlottetown said it's taking precautions by removing anything from public places that could become airborne.

Certain city workers have been told to be on call, starting at 8 a.m. Saturday.

Maritime Electric is also getting ready for the storm.

"We've instructed all of our crews to double-check their vehicles, make sure from a fuel-supply perspective that all of our vehicles are fuelled and ready to go," said spokesperson Kim Griffin.

"We'll be rerouting crews and moving them to that area in the event of a power outage. So, for us, the most important thing is to make sure that we have supplies and that everyone is ready."

Griffin said customers should prepare for the worst, with all the supplies they need for a power outage.

Fifty poles were knocked down by Hurricane Juan, and some people were without power for days.

If there are outages from Earl, Maritime Electric's 1-800 call centre will be operating so people can find out which areas don't have electricity. Griffin also wants to remind people to stay away from downed power lines because the lines could be live.

Boats out of water

The Charlottetown Yacht Club — which saw several boats smashed and sunk during Hurricane Juan seven years ago — told boat owners that all vessels must be out of the marina by the end of Friday.

Forty boats were pulled out Thursday. Manager Lisa MacKinnon said there are 30 boats to go.

Three cranes are on site, including a large private crane to lift the larger boats.

"We're just worried about the winds," said MacKinnon. "The winds Saturday evening are due to hit us southwest, and here at the yacht club they're our worst winds. We've seen with 50-knot winds, when there was no boat on the dock, the docks are rising out of the water. They're literally being lifted up and pounded back down."

MacKinnon said some boat owners have decided not to remove their boats. But they're not allowed to leave them moored at the marina.

Many Island fishermen are scrambling to get ready too. Some of their boats suffered major damage during Hurricane Juan.

"You make all the precautions you can. You try and figure out the direction of the winds, so you can run and hide to another wharf, or put extra ropes on or extra bumpers," said fisherman Mike McGeoghegan.

However, grain farmers like Allan Ling aren't quite as concerned.

He said most of his grains have already been harvested because of the unusually warm weather this summer. But crop loss may still be inevitable as some canola is ready to be harvested,

"So, if there's a heavy rain and a lot of wind, we could get some damage there," Ling said.