Assateague's ponies fine despite Earl

Hurricane Earl stirred up heavy surf and buffeted the mid-Atlantic coast with strong gusts but posed no threat to the herd of wild ponies on Assateague Island.

The Maryland district of the Assateague Island National Seashore, which straddles the Maryland-Virginia border, was closed to visitors through Saturday because of the storm, but officials said the weather wouldn't harm the horses.

National Park Service spokesman Carl Zimmerman says the conditions from Hurricane Earl are no different than those regularly experienced at Assateague, and even less significant than some nor'easters of last winter.

Zimmerman says that in bad weather, the horses just hunker down and go about their business.

-- Associated Press