After barreling across central Florida and toward the Atlantic on Friday, unpredictable Hurricane Charley could re-energize today and strike out for the Carolinas coast.

That prospect triggered both Carolinas to begin preparing for the worst Friday.

S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford declared a state of emergency and called for mandatory evacuation in parts of Horry and Georgetown counties, and voluntary evacuation of the rest of the S.C. coast, with Charley threatening to make landfall around noon today between Charleston and Myrtle Beach.

"We saw a sudden and unexpected shift in Charley's projected path ... that now has the storm on a track to move back over water and possibly hit our coast," Sanford said. "This is a serious storm that's got the potential to do a lot of damage and put a lot of lives in jeopardy if we don't take it seriously -- and that's exactly what we're doing."

Sanford ordered mandatory evacuation east of U.S. 17 Business in Georgetown and Horry counties, including most of the major tourist hotels along the Grand Strand. It wasn't immediately clear how many would be affected but several hundred thousand people are along the Grand Strand this time of year.

For fast evacuation, the governor reversed traffic on U.S. 501 between the Conway Bypass, or S.C. 22, and north to Marion to allow all four lanes of traffic to flow away from Myrtle Beach. The road remained open to two-way traffic between Conway and Myrtle Beach.

In North Carolina, Gov. Mike Easley declared a statewide state of emergency, sending National Guard troops to Eastern North Carolina, which was already reeling from tornadoes spun from the remnants of Tropical Storm Bonnie. Three were killed and 29 injured.

Charley was a Category 4 hurricane when it came ashore in western Florida. But instead of tracking northward, as forecasters had predicted, the storm swung eastward toward Daytona Beach and the Atlantic for a second time.

It could hit near Georgetown, south of Myrtle Beach, late this morning or early afternoon, as a weaker, but still dangerous, Category 1 storm or strong tropical storm, forecasters say.

Charley is expected to bring to the S.C. coast stronger winds (60-75 mph), higher storm surges (4-8 feet) and more severe flooding than originally predicted.

The N.C. coast, too, should feel a greater force of the storm with more rain and stronger winds and storm surges -- particularly along south-facing beaches like those in Brunswick County.

If Charley stays on a track for South Carolina, half the storm would be over the ocean at landfall, said National Weather Service meteorologist Peter Mohlin in Charleston.

However, moving northeast after landfall, as predicted, S.C. beaches farther north, and southeastern N.C. beaches and the Outer Banks could get more of a hit with 4 to 6 inches of rain over the weekend and hurricane or near-hurricane force winds.

"Based on the track, the worst weather will be over the ocean, but those beaches north of Myrtle Beach on up to the Outer Banks could get some major rain," Mohlin said.

The good news, Mohlin said, is that the storm should be moving so fast, about 25 mph, that "there will be a small window for the worst weather."

More good news: Carolinas counties inland shouldn't get the flooding officials had feared from rivers already raised by rains from Bonnie.

Gov. Easley said the state has been monitoring rivers and hog farm lagoons that jumped their banks and flooded much of Eastern North Carolina during Hurricane Floyd in 1999.

So far, he said, those counties have been in a drought and river levels were somewhat low, even after this week's rain. Forecasters are expecting as much as 10 inches from Bonnie and Charley combined, but that is far less than the 2 feet or more that Floyd dropped.

Friday night, vacationers were leaving the S.C. Grand Strand. Occupancy was expected to be high, with many trying to get in one last vacation before schools started, but with word of the storm, hotels and rental agencies were getting cancellations.

"The roads are very busy," said Holly Aufdemort, spokeswoman for the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber. "Even before the governor issued the voluntary evacuation, they were already heading out. The weather is not agreeable and people don't want to get caught in traffic."

State Public Safety Department spokesman Sid Gaulden said the reversal was going well just before 9 p.m. Traffic was heavy on the evacuation route, but it had not become bumper-to-bumper and was still flowing at a good speed, he said.

The sudden shift also means the Charlotte area shouldn't get as much rain as previously predicted. Late Friday, forecasts called for rain throughout the day, possibly heavy east of Interstate 77.

Bonnie not only left much rain over the Carolinas, but spawned several tornadoes Friday in Eastern North Carolina.

One in Pender County was blamed for the three deaths. The victims ranged in age from 18 months to 35 years, The Associated Press reported.

Ingar Sidbury of Rocky Point said he and his family were crowded into a bathroom for shelter when the tornado "sucked the roof right off" his house.

Sidbury, 27, awoke when a fan went off, and heard a whistling noise "like a train" approaching.

The tornado was the worst Pender County Sheriff Carson Smith said he had ever seen.

Friday, Gov. Easley declared a state of disaster for Pender County after touring the damage and witnessing a 5-mile swath of clipped trees and houses lifted from their foundations.

The governor also activated 200 National Guard troops for safety, 50 in Charlotte, stationing the remainder in Lumberton, Kinston and the Triangle, where Raleigh could feel much of the storm's force.

An additional 300 troops are on alert, Easley said.

State workers were also alerting Spanish-speaking radio stations after complaints the state didn't provide enough information during the deadly 2002 ice storm.

After Charley's reported shift eastward, Amtrak canceled its major southern routes, and events from Charlotte to Wilmington were also canceled.

Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards and his family cut short their vacation on Figure Eight Island because of the storm.

The storm's shift also sent Sid Nelson from Charlotte to board up his house at Sunset Beach in Brunswick County.

But once there he decided to stay and brave the storm. His renters for the week had canceled, and he thought he'd take a long weekend and keep a watch over his property.

"I've gone through these things before, and I like to be nearby in case this old house needs me," Nelson said. "I don't think this storm is going to be nearly as bad as some hurricanes I've stayed around for.

"I've got plenty of beer and books, and nothing waiting for me back in Charlotte."