Tropical Storm Arthur became the first hurricane of the 2014 Atlantic season on Thursday after sparking evacuations, closing beaches and tourist sites and disrupting Independence Day celebrations along parts of the US East Coast.Arthur was about 190 miles (305 km) south-southwest of Cape Fear, North Carolina with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph), the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said after upgrading its status.