CHARLESTON, S.C. - South Carolinians cast a wary eye to the sea on Monday, but there was a growing sense that Hurricane Isabel, whose maximum winds weakened to 125 mph during the day, would spare the Palmetto State.

Although National Hurricane Center projections indicated the storm likely would make landfall to the north, state emergency officials warned that hurricanes can be fickle and urged residents not to lower their guard.

At the request of Gov. Mark Sanford, the state opened its Emergency Operations Center early Monday, bringing together representatives of key state agencies who would have to deal with any hurricane evacuation and response after a storm.

"Our sense of it here is it ain't over until it's over," said Joe Farmer, a spokesman for the state Emergency Management Division in Columbia.

"Some television meteorologists are saying it's not going to affect South Carolina. We are not ready to go with that at this point," Farmer said. "Our sense is as long as there is any possible threat to the state of South Carolina, we're going to be on our toes."

At 4 p.m. Monday, the center of Isabel was located near latitude 25.6 north and longitude 70 west, or about 740 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 125 mph - down from 140 mph earlier in the day.

Isabel was downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane and the hurricane center said fluctuations in the strength of major storms are common. Isabel was moving northwest about 8 mph.

Projections from the hurricane center indicated a possible landfall along the Outer Banks of North Carolina on Thursday morning, but Farmer said South Carolinians should still pay attention.

"Historically hurricanes have done erratic things. They are not always predictable," he said.

The Coast Guard advised mariners to secure their boats and urged pleasure craft along the state's northern coast to seek safe harbor. In addition, oceangoing vessels of more than 200 gross tons were told to make plans to leave the Port of Charleston immediately.

At the Home Depot in Myrtle Beach storm supply sales were brisk Monday, said store manager Debbie Scialabba.

"It's certainly not business as usual. But honestly, the customers are very calm," she said. "I think folks who have lived at the beach for any length of time - I've been through six hurricanes - they usually know how to prepare."

Scialabba said Home Depot was sending storm supplies to stores in the area last week but "now a lot of the emphasis has shifted north of us. We are trying to help out the Home Depot folks in Virginia."

"It's pretty calm as far as the attitude," she said, adding she expects the area could receive some flooding and high surf as the storm moves through.

In Charleston, which was slammed by Hurricane Hugo's 135 mph winds back in 1989, there was optimism Isabel would spare the area.

Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. held an emergency meeting with key city officials on Friday to discuss storm preparations, but after weekend forecasts predicted the storm would make landfall farther north, a Sunday meeting was canceled.

Still, city officials are keeping watch in case Isabel shifts direction.

"I don't think we ever take hurricanes for granted," said city spokeswoman Barbara Vaughn. "We have staff that continues to watch and keep the mayor updated. We're keeping an eye on it."

ON THE NET

South Carolina Emergency Management Division: http://www.state.sc.us/emd/index.html

National Hurricane Center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/index.shtml