Hurricane Irene Aftermath.

Irene Pounds Coast, Leaves Power Outages and Flooding in Aftermath

By MICHAEL HOWARD SAUL, ROBBIE WHELAN and LISA FLEISHER

Hurricane Irene hit New York City on Sunday morning as a weakened tropical storm after raking the Eastern seaboard from North Carolina to New Jersey. So far, the storm has killed 11 people and left millions without power.

By 9 a.m. Sunday, Irene was packing winds of 65 miles an hour, down from 75 mph earlier in the morning, according to the National Hurricane Center. Its center was moving over New York City and heading northeast at 26 miles an hour.

Irene was expected to weaken further as it moved through New York, forecasters said. Despite its reduced intensity, the storm is still expected to cause massive flooding and power outages and to bring down thousands of trees.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said about 750,000 homes and businesses were without power across the state. Consolidated Edison Inc. said Sunday morning that there is still a strong possibility that the utility will deliberately shut down power in Lower Manhattan and other areas as officials continue to monitor the storm.

"We're still in the middle of looking at it now," said Alfonso Quiroz, a Con Ed spokesman. "It all really depends on how high the water level gets. The surge is hitting now." He said a deliberate shutdown, if deemed necessary, is helpful because it expedites restoration when the storm ends.

Con Edison currently has 85,000 customers in the region who have lost power because of high winds. Officials expect that number to increase. Restoration could take anywhere from a few days to a week.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration kept open all city bridges spanning the East River throughout the storm, a sign that Hurricane Irene didn't have as significant an impact on New York City as officials initially anticipated.

The only bridges closed were the three spans to the Rockaways in Queens. That happened at 2 a.m. Sunday, officials said. The mayor had ordered the entire Rockaways peninsula to be evacuated by 5 a.m. Saturday, and he estimated on Saturday that 80% of residents there had complied.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904332804576536081445471562.html

A trader looks at the path of Hurrican Irene on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange August 26, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Brendan McDermid

By Rodrigo Campos

NEW YORK | Sun Aug 28, 2011 11:24am EDT

Stocks in perfect storm of Irene, jobs

(Reuters) - Stocks are setting up for another turbulent week that will begin with a focus, oddly enough, on the weather.

Traders juggling European debt worries and soft economic data are now staring at satellite images, tracking the path of Hurricane Irene, expected to hit New York over the weekend.

The unusually large storm traveled up the U.S. East Coast on Friday, threatening 55 million people, and was expected to cause billions of dollars in property damage.

Major U.S. exchanges are preparing to deal with power outages and flooding, and that could affect trading on Monday.

For now at least, the NYSE and Nasdaq expect to be open for trading as usual on Monday morning. The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq repeated on Saturday that, despite the arrival of Hurricane Irene in New York, both expect to conduct a normal trading session on Monday.

The Big Board said a final decision would be made over the weekend, particularly on its trading floor in the low-lying financial district of Manhattan, which could see a storm surge and flooding.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and exchange officials will discuss the storm's impact and plans for opening trading at the start of the week in a conference call on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m., according to a source familiar with the plan.

One senior trader at a proprietary trading firm in New York said Friday that Hurricane Irene had destroyed any chance of a rally that had looked likely, given the extent of short positions that had been building in equity markets.

"If this hurricane is a disaster, my guess is we are going to be down 30-40 handles on Monday," he said.

Property insurers Allstate (ALL.N) and Travelers (TRV.N) hit two-year intraday lows on Friday, partly on worries over claims due to the hurricane.

"We intend to be open, but Mother Nature may have other plans," said Lou Pastina, executive vice president of NYSE operations.

After that, the focus may shift from the Federal Reserve's economic outlook to the August payrolls report on Friday.

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, in a much anticipated speech to central bankers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, said most of the burden for ensuring a solid foundation for long-term growth lay at the feet of the White House and the U.S. Congress.

U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to detail plans to create jobs after he returns from vacation the week after next. Investors will have a few days to position themselves ahead of Obama's speech, with the key payrolls report for August due Friday.

"This was clearly a punt from Bernanke to Obama, who will announce a jobs initiative soon," said Lance Roberts, CEO of Streettalk Advisors, an investment management firm in Houston. "The market thinks we may now get stimulus from the government."

THE WHITE KNIGHT: TRICHET?

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/28/businesspro-us-usa-stocks-weekahead-idUSTRE77P75I20110828

Hurricane Irene snarls New York highways, tunnels, sidewalks

August 28, 2011 |  7:38 am

 

Although the massive New York transit system -- subways, buses and commuter trains -- was shut down in anticipation of the storm, the metropolitan area was still open if you were willing to get behind a wheel or stroll a sidewalk.

Until this morning.

As Hurricane Irene roars through the area, flooding and downed trees are shutting down parts of major roads, highways, tunnels and bridges ringing New York City and making some sidewalks impassable.

PHOTOS: Path of the storm

On the New Jersey side of the Hudson River, the flooding was serious enough for the mayor of Hoboken to order the evacuation of all residents living in ground-floor apartments. On the Manhattan side, sea water is sloshing across sidewalks across Lower Manhattan from Battery Park City to the South Street Seaport area.

The FDR Highway along the eastern side of Manhattan is shut down in both directions near Houston Street because of a fallen tree, while the West Side Highway is blocked around Harlem due to flooding. The New Jersey-bound Holland Tunnel is closed due to flooding,

Not that New Yorkers are jumping in their cars to go anywhere right now.

(Who could tear themselves away from television after watching a reporter waist deep in water on Eastern Long Island surrounded by floating mailboxes or seeing another reporter get nearly knocked over by a wave on the New Jersey beach and then scream "Get out of here! Get out of here!" and hurling her microphone toward her crew?)

New York Deputy Mayor Cas Holloway told NBC News shortly after 9 a.m. that although things may be clearing up a bit in the city — the rain and wind have lightened a bit and the skies are brightening— “that could be deceptive.”

“We are in the most intense part of the storm,” Holloway said. “Stay indoors … the dangers of winds, things blowing off balconies is still extremely high."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2011/08/as-water-laps-over-city-sidewalks-parts-of-city-highways-closing.html

Hurricane Irene Updates, Progressive Forecasts, Impacts, Video Coverage, Resources.

Here are some resources along with updates on Hurricane Irene's progression up the East Coast of the United States.

Hurricane Irene City-by-City Forecast
Hurricane Irene Tracker

Hurricane Irene: Lower Manhattan may lose power before Irene arrives, mayor says

August 27, 2011 8:14 am

Even before Hurricane Irene arrives, Lower Manhattan and other low-lying areas of the city may lose power. In other words, not only will it be extraordinarily stormy in the big city over Saturday night, it could be extra dark.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg suggested that utility company Con Edison might shutdown critical facilities in Lower Manhattan as the storm approaches to prevent residents from getting trapped in elevators and water damage to power lines and other equipment.
“You can plan for a possibility of no power downtown,” Bloomberg said during a morning news conference in Coney Island where it was already drizzling.
PHOTOS: In the path of Hurricane Irene
The mayor again sternly advised New Yorkers who live in low-lying neighborhoods of the five boroughs to get moving. City officials issued an unprecedented order to more than 370,000 residents to evacuate these areas by 5 p.m.; the massive public transportation system is shutting down at noon.
“This is not a joke and let’s hope that it isn’t as bad as we’re preparing for. But your life could be in danger … You could be in [a] building that doesn’t have electricity or doesn’t have elevator service.”
He later added, "Staying behind is dangerous, staying behind is foolish and it's against the law."
Surging tides and high winds could bring salt water from the East River streaming through the streets of Lower Manhattan and other neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens, according to a Alfonzo Quiroz, a spokesman for Con Edison.
A decision would be made about turning off power as the storm moved in, he said.
“During an intense storm like this we have networks that serve tens of thousands of customers and they all may need to be deenergized due to flooding," Quiroz said. "Taking actions like this allows us to  recover quicker. There’s salt in the water and that corrodes some of our wires and makes the damage much more intense. Once the water recedes, we’re able to let the equipment dry and safely reenergize.”
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2011/08/mayor-lower-manhattan-may-lose-power-even-before-irene-arrives.html

Hurricane Irene Hits North Carolina, Claims First Life

Hurricane Irene's outer bands reach Kill Devil Hills, N.C., early Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011. Hurricane Irene has weakened to a Category 1 storm as it nears the North Carolina coast but forecasters say it remains extremely dangerous. (Robert Ray/AP Photo)

By OLIVIA KATRANDJIAN

Aug. 27, 2011

Hurricane Irene, the monster storm rolling up the East Coast, has claimed its first life, a North Carolina man killed outside his home by a tree limb that blew down this morning.

The man was hit while he was walking around his house this morning in a rural area of Nash County, where winds were roaring at more than 60 mph, county Emergency Management Director Brian Brantley told the Associated Press.

The center of Hurricane Irene hit the coast of North Carolina near Cape Lookout with Category 1-force winds of 85 mph.
Hurricane warnings for the next 48 hours have been issued for North Carolina, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, coastal Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

So far, eastern North Carolina has already seen three tornadoes in the past few days, and the majority of the state and areas of Maryland and Virginia are under tornado watches through Sunday.

Stacy township, on the coast of North Carolina, is seeing 93 mph wind gusts this morning.

The far end of the fishing pier in Atlantic Beach, N.C. collapsed overnight. The 100-foot long pier is still standing, but its end has disappeared into the ocean.

Nearly 200,000 homes in North Carolina are experiencing power outages, according to Power Energy.

Winds up to 85 mph ripped power lines from their poles, causing many of the shortages. The hardest hit areas were Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach, N.C.

"Our crews are restoring service as quickly as possible, where it is safe to do so," Power Energy tweeted.

All airports in the New York area will stop accepting arrivals at noon today. The airports expected to be impacted the most are in New York (Newark, John F. Kennedy and Laguardia), Philadelphia, Penn. and Charlotte, N.C.
The American Red Cross has opened 150 shelters across the northeast and is preparing to open dozens more as the storm moves north.

"We have operations in more than a dozen states. Our priority right now is sheltering," said Gail J. McGovern, the Head of American Red Cross in a press conference this morning.

"We're now in the middle of what could be one of the largest responses the Red Cross has had in recent memory," McGovern added.

McGovern encouraged people to register on "Safe and Well," a website that allows you to inform family members that you are okay.

Evacuations began Friday in New York City with the sick and the elderly.

NYU Langone Medical Center and the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Manhattan, two campuses of Staten Island University Hospital, and Coney Island Hospital have moved hundreds of patients to higher ground.

Today, around 370,000 people in zones the city has labeled A (closest to the water) and in the Rockaways have been ordered to evacuate. It is the first time New York has ever evacuated its residents because of a hurricane. "It is better to take precautions and get out of the storm. Mother nature is much stronger than all of us," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg in a press conference Friday.

The storm is expected to weaken as it travels up the eastern seaboard, and may be reduced to a tropical storm by the time it reaches New York.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/hurricanes/hurricane-irene-hits-north-carolina-claims-life/story?id=14393026

By MIKE ESTERL in Morehead City, N.C., MICHAEL HOWARD SAUL in New York and ARIAN CAMPO-FLORES in Miami

Hurricane Irene is lashing North Carolina, with the fiercest winds on the Outer Banks expected to hit about noon. Howling winds, rain and high waves hit the coastline as the large storm brought down trees throughout eastern North Carolina, knocking out power to tens of thousands.

Irene first struck land at 7:30 Saturday morning near Cape Lookout, N.C., on the southern tip of the Outer Banks, and threatened to wreak havoc along a densely populated corridor stretching from the Mid-Atlantic through New England.

Irene weakened to a Category 1 storm as it slammed into North Carolina, with maximum sustained winds around 85 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. But forecasters said Irene remained a menacing hurricane that could topple trees and power lines, trigger heavy floods and set off storm surges as high as 11 feet. Though the storm has lost some of its strength, it is large, causing flooding and bringing down trees far inland.

Nearly 200,000 homes in North Carolina were without power Saturday morning. Hardest hit were Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach, where Progress Energy reported 190,000 customers, mostly residences, were affected, according to the Associated Press.

In New Bern, N.C., a small river-exposed city about 30 miles inland from where Irene made landfall, winds were picking up and waters were rising. Guests in ground-floor rooms of the Hilton Riverfront Hotel were told at 8:30 a.m. to move to higher floors after water flowed over the bank of the Neuse River, about 100 feet from the hotel.

Water was lapping about one foot below ground-floor rooms after roughly half a foot of rain fell in the area overnight. The National Hurricane Center warned of potential storm surges of four to eight feet in hurricane-affected areas.

About 100 miles north of Cape Lookout in Kitty Hawk, N.C., anxious guests at the Hilton Garden Inn passed the time watching The Weather Channel and taking advantage of the still-working power by firing up coffee makers, reading online news and working out at the gym.

By late morning the storm was already being felt to the north. On the eastern shore of Virginia—a thin, rural peninsula north of Norfolk—gusts of wind barreled across rippling soybean fields and an empty main highway. At times the heavy sheets of rain felt more like hail pellets than water, but the violent bursts alternated with lulls of gentle rain.

Government emergency-response units along the East Coast continued moving personnel and equipment to respond to Hurricane Irene.

The Coast Guard—which has been setting port conditions and warning mariners of the approaching storm—has also moved many of its vessels and aircraft out of Irene's direct path. In addition, six of the service's Disaster Assistance Response Teams, river-rescue units equipped with shallow-draft, flat-bottomed boats, awere staging in areas that are expected to be hit by flood waters.

Virginia Task Force 1, an urban search-and-rescue team that deployed to Japan earlier this year after a devastating earthquake and tsunami, has also been activated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The task force—which has its own search-and-rescue specialists, structural engineers, medical specialists, and search dogs—is staging near Fort Bragg, N.C.

In states further north airports, governments and residents continued to prepare for Irene's arrival.

In New York City, the largest city in the Irene's path, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Saturday that power might be shut off in Lower Manhattan until Monday as a precaution against storm surges.

"You can plan on the possibility of no power downtown," the mayor said. Consolidated Edison Co. of New York will make the final decision about whether to cut the power in the coming hours, he said.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904875404576533732485689842.html

By OLIVIA KATRANDJIAN

Aug. 27, 2011

Hurricane Irene, the monster storm rolling up the East Coast, has claimed its first life, a North Carolina man killed outside his home by a tree limb that blew down this morning.

The man was hit while he was walking around his house this morning in a rural area of Nash County, where winds were roaring at more than 60 mph, county Emergency Management Director Brian Brantley told the Associated Press.

The center of Hurricane Irene hit the coast of North Carolina near Cape Lookout with Category 1-force winds of 85 mph.

Hurricane warnings for the next 48 hours have been issued for North Carolina, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, coastal Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

So far, eastern North Carolina has already seen three tornadoes in the past few days, and the majority of the state and areas of Maryland and Virginia are under tornado watches through Sunday.

Stacy township, on the coast of North Carolina, is seeing 93 mph wind gusts this morning.
The far end of the fishing pier in Atlantic Beach, N.C. collapsed overnight. The 100-foot long pier is still standing, but its end has disappeared into the ocean.

Nearly 200,000 homes in North Carolina are experiencing power outages, according to Power Energy. Winds up to 85 mph ripped power lines from their poles, causing many of the shortages. The hardest hit areas were Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach, N.C.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/hurricanes/hurricane-irene-hits-north-carolina-pier-collapses-atlantic/story?id=14393026

The storm made landfall at 7:30 a.m. (4:30 a.m. Arizona time) ET. Wind and rain knocked out power to nearly 200,000 customers along the North Carolina coast, North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue said.

"Our plan is executed now, our shelters are open, our search and rescue teams are all over the state," Perdue said at a news briefing.

About 8,000 people already have checked in to 81 shelters. Thirty emergency teams are stationed around the state along with 285 members of the National Guard.

Flash flooding already is a problem and some areas have gotten up to 8 inches of rain the governor said. In a plea to residents Perdue said bluntly: "Please stay inside."

Perdue said there were still some people who opted to stay behind but "the good news is our tourists evacuated very quickly."

She said the storm may not be nearly as bad as anybody predicted, but "get ready, she's still a hurricane and people need to respect her."

More than 2 million people along the East Coast have been warned, or ordered, to flee the storm's path. Millions more as far north as Maine hunkered down for a weekend of historic wind and rain.

The storm was forecast to reach the mid-Atlantic states later Saturday and New York and New England on Sunday. A hurricane threat this severe is new territory for some northern areas.
Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/08/27/20110827hurricane-irene-east-coast-ON.html#ixzz1WFJBXJhh

Hurricane Irene Insurance Tips & State-By-State Preparedness

6 insurance tips to prepare for Hurricane Irene

 By MARK JEWELL

Hurricane Irene is bearing down on the East Coast. In its path are cities that haven't taken direct hits from a hurricane in years, and in some cases decades.

It's a good time to review how much hurricane damage coverage you can expect from standard homeowners, renters and automobile policies. Here are six insurance tips as the East Coast braces for Irene:

1. Take a property inventory: It's easier to file a damage claim if you know exactly what you own, and can document it. Free online software to help ease the process is available from the Insurance Information Institute at www.knowyourstuff.org . The software enables users to upload photos of property as well as scanned receipts from major purchases. Or, a homeowner can write down a list of major property in a notebook, and take photos, noting key information about each item on the back.

2. Check policies: Read your insurance documents and review the scope of your existing coverage. Know your policy numbers, and where to call to file a claim. Call your agent or insurer with any questions. If you don't have hardcopy of your policy, be sure to check it online before the storm hits — you may not have power for a while after the storm. Don't expect to get a new or expanded policy in place before Irene hits. Insurers typically bar last-minute coverage changes as storms approach.

3. Know your policy's hurricane deductible: A standard homeowners policy includes a deductible, meaning the homeowner must pay for a portion of the damages before insurance covers the rest. Typically, that's either $500 or $1,000. However, out-of-pocket expenses for hurricane damages can be much higher. In 18 states on the East and Gulf coasts, insurers are allowed to include hurricane deductibles in homeowners policies. These amounts apply only to hurricane-caused damage, and typically range from 1 percent to 5 percent of the insured value of a home. Deductibles may be higher in some coastal areas. For example, a policyholder whose home is insured for $200,000 with a 2 percent hurricane deductible would have to pay the first $4,000 to repair hurricane damage.

The hurricane-prone states that allow insurers to assess hurricane deductibles include: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. The District of Columbia is included.

"Many homeowners have forgotten about these deductibles, because they live in places that haven't had a hurricane for years," said Michael Barry, a spokesman for the Insurance Information Institute.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44292077

Family Hurricane Preparedness Tips
As we enter the 2011 Hurricane Season, which experts are predicting to be very active, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is offering personal preparedness tips for the all of the citizens of the Commonwealth.

“Every home and business should have a stocked basic emergency supply kit that could be used for any emergency, regardless of the time of year,” states MEMA Acting Director Kurt Schwartz. “Everyone should keep certain items around the house and workplace in the event you are isolated for three to five days without power”

Each kit will be unique to each family, but should include a portable radio, flashlight, extra batteries, a supply of non-perishable foods, along with bottled water, a first aid kit, extra prescription medication, and extra food and supplies for infants and pets.

“All families should develop a ‘Family Emergency Communication Plan’ to help ensure everyone is safe. You should contact your local authorities to learn about your community’s potential evacuation routes and the location of emergency shelters,” said Schwartz. “It is important to familiarize yourself with your Community’s Emergency Plans before an emergency situation occurs.”

Develop a Disaster Supply Kit ‘Go Bag’, with essentials in case you must evacuate quickly.

1. HURRICANE DISASTER SUPPLY KIT

•Canned goods and nonperishable foods that do not need cooking:
◦Canned meats and fish
◦Canned fruits and vegetables
◦Canned soups and puddings
◦Canned fruit juices
◦Dried fruit and nuts
◦Bread, cookies and crackers
◦Peanut butter and jelly
◦Coffee and tea
•Manual can opener
•Bottled water (1 gallon per person/per day)
more here http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44275604

No matter where you live, officials say everyone should assemble an emergency supply kit (including a gallon of drinking water per person per day, nonperishable foods, a can opener, a first-aid kit, a flashlight, a battery-operation radio and extra batteries, a whistle, iodine tablets, personal hygiene items, a phone that does not rely on electricity, and child care supplies).

Those who live in an evacuation zone also need to:

- prepare a disaster plan (determine how to locate and communicate with family members, and make sure the home is properly insured); - know where to go (finding friends or family to stay with outside the evacuation zone, or report to a hurricane shelter); - keep a small "go bag" ready (which should include copies of important documents in a waterproof container; extra sets of keys; copies of credit and ATM cards; $50 to $100 in cash; up-to-date medication information and other essential personal items; first-aid kit; contact and meeting information for family members; child care supplies).

You can make sure you've got everything with this handy checklist.

Homeowners should secure their properties. Storm shutters are the best type of protection, but if you don't have those, board up windows with marine plywood. Additional clips or straps are recommended to secure roofs.

Bring in loose, lightweight objects such as lawn furniture, potted plants, garbage cans, garden tools and toys. Anchor objects that would be unsafe outside, such as gas grills or propane tanks. Close up and secure patio umbrellas, and secure retractable awnings.

Remove aerial antennas and satellite television dishes.

Trees and shrubs around your home should also be well-trimmed. Also remember to clear your gutters.
New York state offers all-hazard alerts through NY-ALERT (sign up at nyalert.gov). The city offers the latest information on nyc.gov or at 311.

Residents should also monitor the National Hurricane Center to stay aware of current weather conditions. NBC New York's weather page is continuously updated here. The website will always stay updated and carry live streams from the newsroom and weather center in emergencies. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44262817

State-by-state look at hurricane preparedness

Aug. 26, 2011, 3:16 p.m. EDT

Delaware County Daily Times

Here is a state-by-state glance on how Hurricane Irene is predicted to strike states all along the Eastern Seaboard as of Friday morning:
CONNECTICUT
— Forecasters predict Irene to make landfall on Sunday somewhere between New Jersey and Cape Cod.
— Hurricane warnings have not been issued.
— Mandatory evacuations have not been ordered.
— Last hurricane to hit was Bob in 1991.
DELAWARE
— Hurricane warning statewide
— Flood watch in effect
— Storm center to pass near the New Jersey/Delaware coast around 8 a.m. Sunday.
— Governor orders mandatory evacuation of coastal areas by 9 a.m. Saturday
— Last hurricane to hit was Floyd in 1999.
— State will open shelters in all three counties on Friday.
MAINE
— Forecasters predict Irene to reach northern New England Sunday night.
— Heavy rain expected to start Saturday night. Potential for flooding rains and gusty winds.
— No evacuations planned since path uncertain.
— Lobstermen began moving their fishing gear farther offshore to avoid damage amid expectations of 30-foot seas.
MARYLAND
— Hurricane warning for St. Mary's County and Chesapeake Bay near the mouth of the Potomac River.
— Tropical storm warning for Baltimore to Eastern Shore to D.C. suburbs.
— Flash flood watch in Baltimore-Washington metro region and southern Maryland.
— Mandatory evacuations ordered for Ocean City and coastal Worcester County.
— Governor declared emergency.
— Last hurricane to hit was Floyd in 1999.
— Assateague State Park closing until Wednesday; most state park campgrounds closed.
MASSACHUSETTS
— Forecasters predict Irene to make landfall in southern New England on Sunday. They say they are unable to determine where it would hit land first because forecasts show that could be anywhere between New Jersey and Cape Cod.
— Hurricane warnings have not been issued in the state. A hurricane watch is in effect for the coast line to the mouth of the Merrimack River.
— Mandatory evacuations have not been ordered.
— Last hurricane to hit was Bob in 1991.
— Red Cross is pre-positioning emergency response vehicles, mobilizing trained disaster workers and preparing supplies in case they are needed.
— Boston's largest homeless shelter is also beginning to warn people living in the streets about the approaching hurricane. Pine Street Inn is also preparing to open its doors around the clock from Saturday afternoon through Monday, and it is strongly urging the homeless to come in for safety.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
— Forecasters predict Irene to reach northern New England Sunday night.
— Heavy rain expected to start Saturday night. Potential for flooding rains and gusty winds.
— No evacuations planned since path uncertain.
— Governor directed state Emergency Operations Center to be opened.
— The Red Cross plans to open four shelters.
— Organizers of the annual Hampton Beach Talent Competition condensed the three-night schedule to two, telling competitors "it's one song for all the marbles."
NEW JERSEY
— Forecasters predicted storm would pass over, or more likely, near New Jersey by midday Sunday.
— Hurricane warning in effect for coastal and southern counties.
— Mandatory evacuations ordered for nearly 1 million visitors and residents of Cape May County, coastal Atlantic County and Long Beach Island.
— Governor declared emergency for the state.
— New Jersey Transit trains to shut down Saturday.
— Last hurricane to directly hit the state was remnants of Hurricane Floyd, which caused major flooding inland in 1999.
— Atlantic City casinos shutting down for only the third time since gambling was legalized 33 years ago.
NEW YORK
— Forecasters predict Irene to make landfall Sunday as a Category 1 storm between New Jersey and Cape Cod.
— The National Weather Service has issued a hurricane watch and a flood watch for Long Island, New York City and Rockland, Westchester and Putnam counties.
— New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered the evacuation of nursing homes and hospitals located in low-lying coastal areas, such as Battery Park City in lower Manhattan, Coney Island in Brooklyn and Far Rockaway in Queens, beginning Friday.
— The governor declared a state of emergency and the state's Office of Emergency Management has increased staffing in its underground bunker.
— Last hurricane to hit was Hurricane Gloria in 1985 on Long Island as a Category 2 storm with winds gusts of up to 100 mph. Since then, numerous remnants of hurricanes that have struck the state.
— The governor says New York City's public transit will halt around noon Saturday because of the hurricane.
NORTH CAROLINA
— Forecasters predict Irene to make landfall Saturday morning east of Morehead City. Early storm surge prediction of up to 11 feet in Pamlico Sound and up to 9 feet along Outer Banks.
— Hurricane warning for entire coast.
— Governor and president declared emergency for the state.
— Evacuations ordered for all of the Outer Banks as well as inland Currituck County, Dare County, Hyde County and low-lying areas of Beaufort County. Voluntary evacuation requested for New Hanover County.
— Last hurricane to hit was Isabel in 2003.
— The Red Cross is opening eight shelters for people who need them. Nearly 50 other shelters ready to open as needed.
PENNSYLVANIA
— Hurricane warnings are in effect for Philadelphia and Delaware counties, with tropical storm warnings in effect for three other suburban counties.
— Gov. Tom Corbett has declared state of emergency in advance of expected arrival of wind and rain.
— Although the exact track of the storm is uncertain, tropical storm conditions could begin as early as Saturday afternoon.
— Irene is expected to bring a half-foot or more of rain to already sodden communities. Before storms associated with Irene have arrived Philadelphia has already set an all-time single-month record for rain with more than 13 inches.
— The mayor says mass transit in suburban Philadelphia, will halt at 12:30 a.m. Sunday because of the hurricane.
— Mandatory evacuations have not been ordered.
— Last hurricane to hit was Floyd in 1999.
— Flood and flash flood watches are in effect for nine other counties in eastern Pennsylvania through Sunday.
RHODE ISLAND
— Forecasters predict Irene to make landfall on Sunday evening. Six-to-10 inches of rain expected to fall beginning as early as Saturday night.
— Gov. Lincoln Chafee has declared a state of emergency.
— Hurricane watch issued Friday for much of the state. Tropical storm watch for portions of two inland counties.
— No mandatory evacuations.
— Last hurricane to hit was Bob in 1991, which made landfall twice.
SOUTH CAROLINA
— Forecasters predict Irene to be about 140 miles east of Myrtle Beach late Friday night.
— Tropical storm warnings issued from Edisto Island north to North Carolina state line.
— No mandatory evacuations ordered.
— Last hurricane to hit was Charley in 2004.
— Downtown Charleston reported 49 mph wind gust just before noon Friday.
— Wind gusts of up to and as much as of rain expected around Myrtle Beach.
— About 3,500 customers without power along coast late Friday morning as outer bands of storm approach.
VERMONT
— Forecasters predict Irene to reach northern New England Sunday night.
— Heavy rain expected to start Saturday night. Potential for flooding rains and gusty winds.
— No evacuations planned since path uncertain.
— Parts of the state hard-hit by Memorial Day weekend flash flooding were bracing for another round.
VIRGINIA
— Forecasters predict Irene to make landfall at 2 a.m. Sunday.
— Hurricane watch for coast.
— Mandatory evacuations ordered for the Sandbridge section of Virginia Beach, a barrier island dotted with rentals, Accomack on the Eastern Shore, and for low-lying areas of Norfolk and Hampton.
— Governor declared emergency.
— Last hurricane to hit the state was Hurricane Isabel in 2003.
— The cities of Norfolk, Virginia beach and Hampton are opening shelters on Friday.
— The Navy ordered the Second Fleet out to sea to escape the storm.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
— Tropical storm warning
— No mandatory evacuations ordered.
— Last hurricane to hit was Hazel in 1954.
— Approach of hurricane forced postponement of Sunday's dedication of Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
— Impending storm prompts Walter Reed Army Medical Center to accelerate transfer of last remaining patients to new facility in Bethesda, Md.

http://www.pennlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf/story/state-by-state-look-at-hurricane-preparedness/07a83bbd088f492084a8b73ca196f435

Hurricane Irene. First EVER NYC Shutdown!

Hurricane Irene risk forces first-ever NYC shutdown

By Martha T. Moore and Kevin McCoy, USA TODAY

NEW YORK CITY – Nearly 300,000 residents were told Friday to leave low-lying neighborhoods in a first-ever mandatory evacuation as officials announced plans to shut down the city's sprawling transit system in advance of Hurricane Irene.

"It's heading, basically, directly for us," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at a news briefing Friday afternoon. "This is very serious. Do not be fooled by the sun outside. You just can't wait until gale force winds and driving winds begin."

Residents of coastal areas in the five boroughs must leave for higher ground by 5 p.m. Saturday, Bloomberg said. The evacuation order covers an estimated 250,000 people and includes such areas as Coney Island, Battery Park City and the Rockaway peninsula. "We don't have the manpower to go door-to-door and drag people out," Bloomberg said. But, he added, ignoring the evacuation order means "people might die."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-08-26/Hurricane-Irene-risk-forces-first-ever-NYC-shutdown/50149524/1

Hurricane Irene preparations prompt New York City to begin evacuations of low-lying areas

BY Jose Martinez
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Originally Published:Friday, August 26th 2011, 10:14 AM
Updated: Friday, August 26th 2011, 3:27 PM

Danny Iudici for News

Private ambulances prepare for the transport of patients from Coney Island Hospital.

Transit officials will start shutting down subways, buses and commuter trains at noon Saturday and the city ordered  mandatory evacuations of some 300,000 people in low-lying areas as Hurricane Irene took aim at New York.
"This is a mandatory order," Mayor Bloomberg said at a City Hall briefing. "It's done for people's safety."
The orders apply to low-lying areas in all five boroughs - including Coney Island, Battery Park City, Broad Channel and the Rockaways - and shelters were set to open Friday afternoon.
The flood-risk areas must be cleared out by 5 p.m. Saturday.
"We do not have the manpower to go door to door and drag people out of their homes," Bloomberg said. "But make no mistake, people should... leave."
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/08/26/2011-08-26_hurricane_irene_preparations_prompt_new_york_city_to_begin_evacuations_of_lowlyi.html

Here is the zone map for NYC.  If you live in NY, please check this map to be sure of what zone you are in...

NYC Hurricane Irene Evacuation Map

Hurricane Irene. Resources. Extraordinary Extreme Threat Warning For East Coast of the U.S.

The following are resources that you and your loved ones can utilize to watch the path and strength of Hurricane Irene.

The following link shows Hurricane Irene's current path, the current strength and has a drop-down menu that shows where alerts are directed at the current time.
http://www.weather.com/weather/hurricanecentral/

The following link shows an interactive Hurricane Irene tracker map with forecast, updates, and what has happened already with the storm. This is a pretty cool tool to keep you updated on the current events around this storm and on another one brewing further out in the ocean.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26295161/ns/weather/?GT1=43001

Top developments, according to MSNBC, on Irene are as follows.

Top Developments:

• Irene could still strengthen a bit; up to 15 inches of rain estimated on East Coast.
• Hundreds of thousands told to evacuate in N.C., Md. and N.J. counties.
• New York state joins N.C., Va., Md. and N.J. in declaring state of emergency.
• Forecast shifts track west, putting large cities closer to center of forecast "cone."
• Hurricane warning issued along all N.C. coast.
• NYC to decide tomorrow on whether to order evacuations.

This link shows you the current advisories from the National Weather Service on the topic of Hurricane Irene.  This is one to keep a close eye on.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT4+shtml/231150.shtml

Here are some current headlines regarding the effects that Hurricane Irene is having/will be having on the population of the United States as she barrels through.

Refineries Likely to Shut as Hurricane Irene Nears, Boosting Gas Prices

Published August 25, 2011

| Associated Press

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/weather/2011/08/25/refineries-likely-to-shut-as-hurricane-irene-nears-boosting-gas-prices/#ixzz1W56UVlCd

 

Hurricane Irene Sends Tens of Thousands Fleeing the Coast

http://abcnews.go.com/US/hurricane-irene-sends-tens-thousand-fleeing-coast-states/story?id=14377737

 

Hurricane Irene barrels toward East Coast

By MITCH WEISS
Associated Press

BUXTON, N.C. (AP) -- A nightmare Hurricane Irene barreled toward the Eastern Seaboard on Thursday, sending thousands of vacationers fleeing and threatening up to 65 million people from the Carolinas to New England.

The Category 3 storm with winds of 115 mph - the threshold for a major hurricane - would be the strongest to strike the East Coast in seven years, and people were already getting out of the way.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/IRENE?SITE=LABAT&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-08-25-17-52-09

Sabbath Day, Sunday, August 31, 2008

Because we have fellow Americans who are in harms way along the Gulf Coast, here is a link to the LDS Church's website showing the help being given, as well as a link to the site for the American Red Cross. Please keep the people of the United States of America in your prayers tonight as the storm surge is expected to hit them at full strength around midnight, according to the National Weather Service.

Here are the links...

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

"In Advance of Hurricane Gustav, Aid Trucks Already Rolling
SALT LAKE CITY 29 August 2008 Tractor-trailers loaded with relief supplies have already left Salt Lake City headed toward the Gulf Coast, where Hurricane Gustav is expected to make landfall Tuesday morning. By that time experts are forecasting Gustav will reach a Category 3 status or possibly even a Category 5 status.

Trucks loaded with food, hygiene kits and cleaning kits left for the Gulf Coast yesterday and today. More trucks are being loaded and will leave tomorrow, and additional supplies stored at Church aid facilities in Louisiana and Texas are also being made available.

..."

The American Red Cross

"Sunday, August 31, 2008 — As mandatory evacuations are issued in the Gulf Coast states, the American Red Cross is starting to receive evacuees in shelters throughout the Gulf Coast. The Red Cross has relief operations ready in four states: Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. Everyone in the path of the storm is urged to prepare, listen to officials and heed evacuation orders when instructed to do so; evacuation orders must be taken seriously.

..."

This is truly a lesson in preparedness for all of us around the globe.