[gatagato]

Hurricane Irene continues to grow in strength and ferocity and is now on track to become a Category 4 hurricane, authorities said. Fueled by warm waters and nothing to slow it down, the hurricane is taking a path that will likely skirt Florida and head straight for the Carolinas, with landfall this weekend.

The National Hurricane Center warns that the storm remains unpredictable and is urging East Coast residents to closely track the first major hurricane of the 2011 season as it heads toward the United States so that they can be prepared for impact.

The storm, which is now a Category 2 hurricane, is moving at about 12 mph and is currently north of the Dominican Republic, said National Hurricane Center spokesman Dennis Feltgen in an interview with The Times. Unfortunately, that means "it's moving into an environment which is very ideal for strengthening. ... We expect it to become a Category 4 hurricane as it passes east of central Florida."

The warm ocean waters and very low wind shear are the two key factors driving the hurricane, he said. High wind shear could help disrupt the storm, scattering it.

"We expect the storm to stay off the coast of Florida, which is good news for Florida. But it's still looking like it's going to impact the Carolinas and could make landfall there as a major hurricane."

<script type='text/javascript' src='http://video.miami.cbslocal.com/global/video/videoplayer.js?rnd=325291;hostDomain=video.miami.c bslocal.com;playerWidth=385;playerHeight=288;isSho wIcon=true;clipId=6179041;flvUri=;partnerclipid=;a dTag=News;advertisingZone=CBS.MIA%252Fworldnowplay er;enableAds=true;landingPage=;islandingPageoverri de=false;playerType=STANDARD_EMBEDDEDscript;contro lsType=fixed'></script>
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nati...hurricane.html
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/index.shtml

See also:
How to prepare for Hurricane Irene - or an earthquake
Hurricane Irene: Bad for Carolinas, bad for Georgia peanuts

As a Category 1 hurricane, Irene caused widespread tree and powerline damage throughout Puerto Rico, more than a million homes are without power.
See:
Hurricane Irene, "small hurricane" my ass

Close your windows

[candymosh]

I've been keeping an eye on this thing since it was just a wee little disturbance. It's amazing how fast those things can upgrade in strength. Hope it downgrades before landfall out that way but I seriously doubt it

[gatagato]

Hurricane Irene strengthens, plods toward U.S.

(CBS/AP) MIAMI - Hurricane Irene regained Category 2 strength with 100 mph winds as it headed for the U.S. East Coast early Wednesday morning.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said additional strengthening was expected and Irene could become a major hurricane in the next day or so.

Early Wednesday, the hurricane was centered about 400 miles southeast of Nassau in the Bahamas and was moving west-northwest near 9 mph.

The hurricane center said Irene would move across the southeastern and central Bahamas on Wednesday and the northwestern Bahamas on Thursday. It might make landfall over the North Carolina coast Saturday, then move to the north near the Chesapeake Bay.

In North Carolina, tourists on Ocracoke Island, which is accessible only by boat, were told to evacuate ahead of the hurricane. It will be a test of whether people in the crosshairs of what could be the first monstrous storm in years along the East Coast will heed orders to get out of the way.

<embed src="http://cnettv.cnet.com/av/video/cbsnews/atlantis2/cbsnews_player_embed.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" background="#333333" width="425" height="279" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" FlashVars="si=254&contentValue=50110257&shareUrl=h ttp://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7377958n" />
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/...20096435.shtml

Coastal Watches/Warnings and 5-Day Forecast Cone for Storm Center

This graphic shows an approximate representation of coastal areas under a hurricane warning (red), hurricane watch (pink), tropical storm warning (blue) and tropical storm watch (yellow). The orange circle indicates the current position of the center of the tropical cyclone. The black line, when selected, and dots show the National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecast track of the center at the times indicated. The dot indicating the forecast center location will be black if the cyclone is forecast to be tropical and will be white with a black outline if the cyclone is forecast to be extratropical. If only an L is displayed, then the system is forecast to be a remnant low. The letter inside the dot indicates the NHC's forecast intensity for that time:

D: Tropical Depression – wind speed less than 39 MPH
S: Tropical Storm – wind speed between 39 MPH and 73 MPH
H: Hurricane – wind speed between 74 MPH and 110 MPH
M: Major Hurricane – wind speed greater than 110 MPH

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/grap....shtml?5-daynl
Tourists ordered off tiny NC island ahead of Irene

[dooshman]

The most recent models now take her away from the shore. I'm so glad about that. I don't wanna lose our power for days, and have to clean up tree branches and other things, the way Hurricane Isabel made happen.

[Peehnut]

earlier today it showed about to hit the Bahamas. I'm all the way in Vermont and there have been high winds all day.

[gatagato]

Perdue issues a stern warning as Irene heads toward N.C. coast

Gov. Bev Perdue warned North Carolinians to "prepare for the worst" Wednesday as Hurricane Irene strafed the Bahamas with 120-mph winds, growing in destructive power as it roared toward an expected close encounter with the state's coastline Saturday.


"Get your evacuation kit ready," Perdue said at a press briefing. "Get your medicines ready. Take your insurance documents, and have a plan to get out if you need to. Treat this seriously, but then pray real hard that North Carolina will be fine."

Vacationers were evacuated from Ocracoke Island on Wednesday, with residents of the island and mainland Hyde County scheduled to follow their path to safety today.

Dare County officials late Wednesday ordered a mandatory evacuation, starting at 8 a.m. today for all nonresidents - about 150,000 vacationers on Outer Banks beaches from Duck to Hatteras. Local officials in Currituck and Carteret counties said they would decide today on evacuating.

The National Hurricane Center said late Wednesday that Irene, a Category 3 hurricane with 120 mph winds, was aiming at the East Coast and could grow to a Category 4 today - with sustained winds above 131 mph and the power to cause catastrophic damage. The center line of Irene's forecast track had shifted slightly to the east over the past two days, suggesting now that Irene's eye might pass just east of Cape Hatteras on Saturday night as it moves north just offshore from the Outer Banks.

Even if Irene does not make landfall, forecasters and emergency management officials said, it will have plenty of power to cause wind damage, flooding and storm surges along the coast. Meteorologists measured winds with hurricane force, more than 73 mph, extending 60 miles from Irene's eye.

"We don't want people to get lulled into a sense that things are going to be OK, just because it's staying off the coast," said Nick Petro, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Raleigh. "Irene is a big storm."

The storm path could change over the next two days, Petro said. If Irene continues as predicted now, its heaviest rains will be east of U.S. 17 near the shore, with perhaps up to three inches of rain in places between U.S. 17 and Interstate 95. The Triangle and other areas west of I-95 could expect gusty winds and no more than an inch of rain, he said.

Perdue said Dare and Currituck officials would make the right decision about whether to announce voluntary or mandatory evacuations from the state's northern beaches.

But - looking farther south along the coastline - she warned against any premature decisions that might needlessly scare vacationers away from island beaches.

"Obviously we have learned over the years, quite frankly, that sometimes there are predictor models that change," Perdue said. "And if we do react strongly early on, several days before the storm hit North Carolina, we do some significant damage to the coastal economy.

"And as you look at Wilmington and Carteret County, any of those places, this morning, folks that are there should feel comfortable - based on the predictor models - that they can stay through this week," Perdue said. "Now on Thursday or Friday if something changes, the locals will go in and talk about evacuations."

Coastal officials must walk a "fine line" in deciding on evacuations, she said.

"You will never endanger your tourists, but you also don't want to over-inflate the sense of urgency about the storm," Perdue said.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/08/2...-as-irene.html

When a storm is forecast:

• Check with your insurance company to see what is covered.
  
• Inventory your personal property to help in filling out claims.
  
• Put up hurricane shutters or buy half-inch outdoor plywood for each window of your house. Install anchors and drill holes in the plywood for fast installation.
  
• Check tie-downs and plan to evacuate if you live in a mobile home.

When a storm threatens:

• Make sure you have a battery-powered radio with fresh batteries; a flashlight, candles or lamps; matches, a first-aid kit, canned or packaged food that can be prepared without cooking or refrigeration; several days' supply of drinking water (1 gallon per person per day) and a full tank of gas in your car.
  
• Pack protective clothing, rainwear and bedding or sleeping bags.
  
• Assemble an adequate supply of essential medicines, particularly prescriptions. Get cash. Carry credit cards or make sure they are in a safe place.

If an evacuation is ordered, leave.

• Children and the elderly have special needs. Put together whatever is necessary and make it portable.
  
• Teach family members how and when to turn off natural gas, electricity and water. (Professionals will have to turn them back on.) Teach children how and when to call 911, police or fire departments and which radio stations to tune to for emergency information.
  
• Develop a plan in case family members are separated and a plan for reuniting.
  
• Ask an out-of-state relative to serve as a family contact. After a hurricane, it often is easier to call long distance than locally. Make sure everyone in the family knows the name, address and phone number of the contact person.
  
• Watch television, listen to the radio or check the Internet for hurricane position, intensity and expected landfall.
  
• Put important papers in waterproof containers (take them along upon evacuating), and move all valuables to higher levels in the home.

[DollHead]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26295161.../#.TlZhhqjkqf4

Sorry for the link. I couldn't find a way to make the tracker come on here by itself. But I thought it was cool =] I'm in Jersey and we are due to get this saturday night

[kellyhound]

[**butterflylove**]

[gatagato]

Hurricane Irene: N.Y. and four other states declare emergency
New York became the latest state to declare a state of emergency in a scramble to get ahead of Hurricane Irene as the storm prepares to make a potentially deadly drive up the East Coast.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s declaration Thursday follows those of Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley. North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue –- whose state is projected to take the first hit Saturday when Hurricane Irene makes landfall in the U.S. –- limited her declaration to counties east of Interstate 95.

The emergency declarations expand the states’ abilities to free up funds and cut through bureaucratic red tape to speed resources and emergency personnel to emergency areas.

It's also a sign that of how damaging -- and deadly -- authorities fear that Hurricane Irene can be.

PHOTOS: In the path of Hurricane Irene
Right now, Hurricane Irene is a Category 3 storm with winds clocked at nearly 130 mph as it raked over the Bahamas on Thursday. But it has the potential to grow in force and intensity to a Category 4 storm before reaching the easternmost reaches of North Carolina and its fragile barrier islands.

View Hurricane Irene track forecast

See also Hurricane Irene Tracker in Real Time!Thread by Devil Mantis66