Hurricane Earl lost some momentum as it barreled toward the East Coast on Thursday, offering Atlantic homeowners and beach-goers a sigh of relief — though evacuations have continued in many beach towns.

The National Weather Service downgraded Earl to a Category 3 Thursday afternoon, as its winds decreased from 140 miles per hour in the early morning to 115 miles per hour by 5 p.m., as they began to reach the Outer Banks.