U.S. Coast Guard flies warning mission

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. - The United States Coast Guard sent a team airborne Thursday along the Atlantic Coast to warn mariners about the possible dangers coming from Hurricane Bill.

Just before 5 a.m. Thursday, Bill was downgraded from a Category 4 storm to a Category 3. Still powerful though, Bill's winds and power, just miles away in the Atlantic, could cause strong swells and dangerous winds for boaters along the east coast.

The Coast Guard team departed on their mission from Elizabeth City, NC around 9 a.m. Thursday. From the HC-130J aircraft, guardsmen broadcasted warning messages to mariners on the waters below.

WAVY-TV 10 Reporter Oren Liebermann went along for the trip in 2008 as guardsmen flew the same mission in preparation for Tropical Storm Cristobal. WAVY-TV 10's Art Kohn was aboard the flight on Thursday.

Look for the latest on Hurricane Bill and the Coast Guard's mission on WAVY News 10 and WAVY.com.