Hurricane Irene Approaches Eastern Seaboard

http://news.sky.com/home/world-news/article/16057064

Hurricane Sparks Flooding And Power Cut Fears
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1:47pm UK, Friday August 26, 2011

Millions of people on the US east coast are preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Irene, with New York among the areas declaring a state of emergency.

The category two storm with winds around 100mph is expected to make landfall over North Carolina on Saturday.
It is then predicted to move up the coast and the Big Apple could take a direct hit the following day.
Around 50 million people are potentially in its path, and authorities believe the massive storm will cause heavy rainfall, widespread flooding and power cuts across the region.
"Some re-intensification is possible today and Irene is expected to be near the threshold between category two and three as it reaches the North Carolina coast," the US National Hurricane Centre said.

Tens of thousands of residents in vulnerable areas have been ordered to get to higher ground as an "extremely dangerous" storm surge could raise water levels by up to 11ft (3.4m), experts say.
In New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said: "If you have a car and live in a low-lying area, park it on a hill. Move stuff upstairs."
He authorised the evacuation of hospitals and other at-risk institutions in the most low-lying parts of New York City.



They were warned that the emergency services would not be able to reach anyone who ignored the mandatory evacuation by Friday morning.
A state of emergency has also been declared in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.
The US military said up to 98,000 National Guard soldiers were available if needed.
The threat from Irene has even disrupted the president's schedule.
He was due to take part in the dedication of the Martin Luther King memorial in Washington on Sunday but the event has been postponed.
The 28ft (nine metre) tall granite likeness of King, designed by Chinese artist Lei Yixin, will now be formally dedicated in September or October.
Irene will be the first hurricane to hit the US mainland since Ike pounded Texas in 2008.

Question for Tony and Lily.

Like almost the entire population of the planet, I watch CSI Miami - and it always strikes me how low-lying Miami appears to be.

What would happen if Florida was hit really badly? Do they have, say, levees, as in New Orleans?

No Bonny, Florida doesn't have levees. If it looks like it is going to be a bad one; coastal areas are evacuated.

ETA: Sorry, I got it wrong. Yes, they do have levees.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/storm/content/local_news/epaper/2009/06/07/0607levee.html

i didn't know that either but, it makes sense.

Bonny, Florida is low lying and flat for sure. Would be very worried if I lived near the coast right about now........

From Sky;



Handout image courtesy of NOAA shows a visible view of Hurricane Irene captured by the GOES-East satellite on August 25, 2011. The National Hurricane Center is still predicting Irene to reach category 4 status within the next day. Hurricane and tropical storm watches are in effect for much of the Carolina coastline.

There has now been some deaths due to the Hurricane hitting the east coast.
A baby was killed when a tree crashed through the roof of his home.Two adults have also been killed in incidents related to the storm.
http://www.foxnews.com/weather/2011/08/27/hurricane-irene-makes-landfall-in-north-carolina/

That poor boy, Tony - and others. This is just amazing in a bad way.

Is it liable to cause so much damage in New York because the skyscrapers will turn it into a series of wind tunnels? The actual windspeed doesn't seem that abnormal by the standards of the gales which batter Scotland periodically.

I can see the storm surge could cause chaos if flooding starts underground..

One building collapsed in New Jersey. LL