Irene sends 1,300 Americans to camps

[ktlight]

FYI:

More than 1,300 people have been sheltered at Red Cross camps in the US East Coast because of hurricane Irene, US authorities say.


Officials said on Saturday that the powerful storm would reach the towns along the New Jersey shore within hours, CNN reported.

Thousands of residents fled the coastal towns, including popular spots such as Atlantic City, Cape May and Long Beach Island.

Irene also knocked out power to some 500,000 customers across the eastern part of the country, according to officials.

Earlier on Saturday, the hurricane battered the coast of North Carolina near Jacksonville with winds of more than 85 mph (140km/h), the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

Irene is approaching Washington, New York and Boston, a densely-populated corridor home to some 65 million people.

Meanwhile, New York City's mayor Michael Bloomberg urged 370,000 people to leave the city immediately, warning of serious threats of the hurricane.

Bloomberg has ordered the closure of the US subway system in New York City for the first time because of the natural disaster.

source
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/196074.html

[Anchor]

"Things look better than we anticipated"


Christopher Gilbride, a spokesman for the city's Office of Emergency Management, said that "things look better than we anticipated."

"The storm seems less organized, and the storm is moving quicker than we thought," he said, explaining that if the storm moves quickly it could also pass quickly, possibly resulting in less damage.

Mr. Gilbride said that a storm surge of about four feet is expected shortly in the waters around the Battery. That is a smaller storm surge than city officials previously feared, he said.

LaGuardia airport has sustained winds of 52 miles per hour, he said.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/28/live-blog-hurricane-irene-approaches-new-york-city/#things-look-better-than-we-anticipated

[Maia Gabrial]

I hope the people of NY stay safe. And feel safe....We have the tail end of Irene here in PA right now. Hard rain, but nothing to worry about.

[Maia Gabrial]

In view of how we're being lied to on news medias, this Hurricane Irene thing seems like another hyped up lie to me. It passed through here and it was no different from any other storm. Just a storm. IMO their credibility has been going downhill for awhile now, at least for me. From here on in, I take what they say with alot of skepticism, small amount of belief and a whole lot of salt....

[IndigoStar]

Hurricane Irene is Milder Than Expected for US Coast, Extensive Damage Averted

Coastal areas in the path of Hurricane Irene were mostly spared from major damage overnight and many residents awoke to catch glimpses of blue skies.

New York City averted hurricane force winds when Irene made landfall early Sunday in Coney Island and Brooklyn, and was downgraded to a Tropical Storm. The storm's movement sped up during the night and did not cause the widespread damage in major population areas that was feared.

Here's a roundup of some of the good news:

-- Surge waters receded this morning from rivers bordering lower Manhattan

-- The tidal surge moved out of the Chesapeake Bay, taking with it fears of morning flooding in low-lying areas like Alexandria, VA.

-- Responders performed 76 water rescues in Beaufort County, North Carolina

-- Virginians prepared for the worst, but fared better than expected. Folks in Norfolk area shelters awoke to bright sunlight, and cloudless skies Sunday morning hearing the news that many of their homes had escaped damage.

-- Water levels started to drop this morning along coastal New Haven and Bridgeport, Connecticut.

-- In Maryland, there was little damage in Ocean City, a beach getaway where tens of thousands evacuated before the storm. The beach still looks good and the boardwalk survived quite well.

NOAA map of hurricane pathOne storm victim who survived thanks to animal lovers who returned early to the beaches was a dolphin who washed ashore at Avon in the Outer Banks. The strangers helped drag the mammal back to the ocean, where it swam away.

Most New Yorkers took the storm in stride, some throwing Irene parties Saturday night.

Brooklyn resident Jean McKenna said she did not let extensive media coverage unnerve her, according to Voice of America.

“Well, I tried not to worry about it too much because we have had these situations before when they predict big storms or big events of some sort and then they come to nothing. I mean, you want to be prepared of course, but you do not want to overdo it.”

There are still flooding affecting inward regions of New York, North Carolina and Massachusetts, so do take precautions in those areas to stay safe!

http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/civics/hurricane-irene-milder-than-expected.html