Early reports suggested that Hurricane Earl had a less than 5% chance of hitting the New Jersey shore this weekend.

Reports are starting to change as there is an increased chance that Hurricane Earl could ruin the Labor Day weekend for many in New Jersey, New York, and further up the Northeast.

According to NBCPhiladelphia.com: "This time, the high is about average in strength and position, leading to a curved track, but not a sharp curve. This favors Earl coming close to the coast before curving northeastward to near Cape Cod.  The western track would bring hurricane conditions to the Delaware Beaches and the Jersey Shore Friday. The eastern track would lead to very little impact in this area other than high waves and rip currents. The middle solution could bring tropical storm (39-plus mph) conditions to the shore, with little impact well inland."

Ultimately, the odds are that Hurricane Earl will just screw things up on Friday.

The gamblers are spreading fear though. A gambling site called Casinogamblingweb.com states that Hurricane Earl could disrupt gambling in Atlantic City.

And, then there's the Seattle Post Intelligencer, which states that Hurricane Earl could cause financial destruction. Sure, it could morph into a category 5 and ram right into the Jersey shore. Then again, a meteor the size of Texas could slam into Earth. That doesn't mean it will happen.

Hurricane Earl is now a Category 4 Storm past the Carribean. Weather.com has up-to-the-minute updates on Hurricane Earl's path.