Irene brings rain, heavy seas to US coast

MOREHEAD CITY, North Carolina: Tropical storm-force winds from Hurricane Irene began lashing the US East Coast with rain Friday with the potential to cause billions of dollars in damage along a densely populated arc that included Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York and Boston. At least 65 million people could be affected.
A hurricane warning was in effect from North Carolina all the way to Massachusetts - including for New York City, where more than a quarter-million people were ordered to evacuate ahead of Irene's approach. It was the first hurricane warning issued for New York City in more than two decades. Officials declared emergencies, called up hundreds of National Guard troops, shut down public transit systems and begged hundreds of thousands of people to obey evacuation orders. Airlines canceled more than 2,000 weekend flights.
The National Hurricane Center said the storm is unlikely to get any stronger and may weaken slightly before reaching land. It said Irene could weaken to a tropical storm before reaching the northern region of New England, but that even below hurricane strength it would be a powerful and potentially destructive storm.
As the storm's outermost bands of wind and rain began to lash islands off the coast of the southern state of North Carolina, authorities in points farther north begged people to get out of harm's way. The hurricane lost some strength but still packed 100 mph (160 kph) winds, and officials in the Northeast, not used to tropical weather, feared it could wreak devastation.
Speaking from Martha's Vineyard Island where he is vacationing, President Barack Obama said all indications point to the storm being a historic hurricane.
"Don't wait. Don't delay," said Obama, who decided to cut short his summer vacation by a day and return to Washington. "I cannot stress this highly enough: If you are in the projected path of this hurricane, you have to take precautions now."
The latest forecasts showed Irene crashing into the North Carolina coastline Saturday, then churning up the Eastern Seaboard and drenching areas from Virginia to New York City before a weakened storm reaches New England.
Rain and tropical storm-force winds of at least 39 mph (63 kph) already were pelting North and South Carolina as Irene trudged north, snapping power lines and flooding streets. Officials warned of dangerous rip currents as Irene roiled the surf. Thousands already were without power. In Charleston, South Carolina, several people had to be rescued after a tree fell on their car, trapping them.
The hurricane forced the president to wrap up his vacation a day early to return to Washington Friday night instead of Saturday afternoon.
Irene's wrath in the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas, gave a preview of what might be coming to the U.S.: Power outages, dangerous floods and high winds that caused millions of dollars in damage.
The U.S. East Coast, home to some of the country's most densely populated cities and costliest waterfront real estate, was expected to suffer a multibillion-dollar disaster, experts forecast.
In the Carolinas, swells and waves up to 9 feet (3 meters) were reported along the Outer Banks and thousands had already lost power as the fringes of the storm began raking the shore.
In addition to widespread wind and water damage, Irene could also push crude oil prices higher if it disrupts refineries in Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia, which produce nearly 8 percent of U.S. gasoline and diesel fuel.
The center of the storm was still about 265 miles (427 kilometers) south-southwest of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and moving to the north at 14 mph (22 kph). Forecasters warned wind-whipped water could create a dangerous storm surge, with levels along the state's Albemarle and Pamlico sounds rising as much as 11 feet (3.35 meters).
In Washington, Irene dashed hopes of dedicating a 30-foot (10-meter) sculpture to Martin Luther King Jr. on Sunday on the National Mall. While a direct strike on the nation's capital appeared slim, organizers said the forecasts of wind and heavy rain made it too dangerous to summon a throng they expected to number up to 250,000.
Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers were told Thursday to pack a bag and be prepared to move elsewhere. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said public transportation in New York City would shut down around noon Saturday, and major bridges also could shut down if conditions become too windy.
The nation's biggest city has not seen a hurricane in decades, and a hurricane warning hasn't been issued there since Hurricane Gloria hit in 1985 as a Category 2 storm, said Ashley Sears, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
Even if the winds aren't strong enough to damage buildings in a metropolis made largely of brick, concrete and steel, a lot of New York's subways and other infrastructure are underground, making them subject to flooding.
New York's two airports are close to the water and could be inundated, as could densely packed neighborhoods, if the storm pushes ocean water into the city's waterways, officials said. In 2008, the city had a brush with Tropical Storm Hanna, which dumped 3 inches (8 centimeters) of rain on Manhattan.
In the last 200 years, New York has seen only a few significant hurricanes. In September 1821, a hurricane raised tides by 13 feet (4 meters) in an hour and flooded all of Manhattan south of Canal Street, the southernmost tip of the city. The area now includes Wall Street and the World Trade Center memorial.
An infamous 1938 storm dubbed the Long Island Express came ashore about 75 miles (120 kilometers) east of the city and then hit New England, killing 700 people and leaving 63,000 homeless.
The first U.S. injuries from Irene appeared to be in South Florida near West Palm Beach, where eight people were washed off a jetty Thursday by a large wave churned up by the storm.
  

Emergency declared in New York as Hurricane Irene closes in

NEW YORK: A state of emergency has been declared in New York as the US East Coast geared up for hurricane Irene which is expected to make its first landfall over the weekend and dump about 15 inches of rain in the area. Governor Andrew Cuomo said measures were being put in place in preparation for the potential impact of the hurricane and state and local agencies are working on emergency response efforts. New York became the latest state to declare emergency after Virginia, New Jersey, Maryland and North Carolina began implementing measures to tackle the massive storm. A state of emergency would enable New York to use state resources to assist local governments more effectively and quickly. "In this emergency I am activating all levels of state government to prepare for any situation that may be caused by Hurricane Irene," Cuomo said today. "We are communicating with our federal and local partners to track the storm and to plan a coordinated response, and we will deploy resources as needed to the areas expected to be hit the hardest."
Urging New Yorkers to personally prepare for hurricane conditions, Cuomo said people should take stock of their emergency supplies, such as water, non-perishable food, radios, batteries and first aid kits. Currently, Hurricane Irene is a category 3 storm with winds blowing at nearly 208 kmph (130 mph). It has battered the Bahamas and is expected to hit North Carolina's Outer Banks by Saturday afternoon with winds around 185 kmph (115 mph). It will move up the East Coast over the weekend, dumping rain from Virginia to New York City before it reaches Connecticut. New York's Emergency Operations Center in Albany has been ordered to operate twenty-four hours a day. Cuomo said his administration is in contact with local officials, including New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and county executives, to coordinate preparation for medical, power or transportation emergencies. The state government is also communicating with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service to discuss the potential tracks of the storm.