The last ferry left for the mainland and coastal residents hunkered down at home as Hurricane Earl closed in with 110 mph winds Thursday on North Carolina's dangerously exposed Outer Banks, the first and potentially most destructive stop on the storm's projected journey up the Eastern Seaboard.The first bands of heavy rain hit the long ribbon of barrier islands Thursday night. The downpours started in several bursts as the storm's so-called rain shield whirled into the southeasternmost tip of the Outer Banks.