Hurricane Irene reaches category three on way

[conspiracybeliever]

Irene is now packing winds of 110 mph (185km/h) near the Bahamas, and the storm could reach the US mainland by the end of the week.

Voluntary evacuations have begun on a barrier island off North Carolina.

Read more...

[Indiogene]

Irene is expected to turn away from Florida (Miami-South Fla. was bracing for it) and make landfall in the Carolinas, most likely on the Outer Banks region and Cape Hatteras/Cape Fear expects a category 4 storm with surge to be about 15 feet, by Friday night. Irene would be the strongest in 3 to 6 years for the US East coast, after Ike's strike (rhymes) in 2008 and we recall what Katrina did in 2005 made tremendous levee damage to flooded New Orleans for 3 to 5 weeks. Residents living on the Carolinas' low-lying Barrier islands are urged to take caution and evacuate ASAP...in sea level, the waves are more threatening than the winds.

[preacherman76]

Im in Ny. We are getting ready for a heck of a storm by Sunday. Hopefully it will drop in catagory by the time it reaches here.

[a vampire wears my boxers]

crossing fingers for everyone in the path of this raging lady.

[Rosenrot]

Irene will probably due some damage to the Carolinas and Virginia, but it's also the first major hurricane to hit there in a while. These things happen every once in a while. The people there have been dealing with storms like this for centuries. They know what they're doing. I remember a time when hurricanes were commonly messing with my family's vacations on the Carolina coast. Just one after another after another. We even bought hurricane insurance when we'd go on vacation. Now it seems like we get maybe one a year. To tell you the truth, I liked hurricanes when I was in school. They typically dismissed classes for the day.

[conspiracybeliever]

MORE PEOPLE FLEE AHEAD OF IRENE AS HURRICANE TRACK SHIFTS

Top Developments:

Forecast shifts Irene track farther west, putting large cities closer to center of forecast "cone."

Bahamas sees some damage; downed trees, power outages in capital.

Tens of thousands evacuate North Carolina's Outer Banks.

NYC to decide tomorrow on whether to order evacuations.

BUXTON, N.C. -- More areas of North Carolina ordered evacuations after the forecast for Hurricane Irene took a turn for the worse on Thursday, with the Category 3 storm now expected to track farther inland. That puts more people within the warning "cone" issued by the National Hurricane Center.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44270712/ns/weather/

[EllJay]

Do you know why all hurricanes have female names??

Because like all women, when they arrive to you, you are taken by storm.

But when they leave they take your house, car, boat and everything you own with them.

PS: Hope everyone will be OK

Edited August 25, 2011 by EllJay

[Rafterman]

As much as folks panic over hurricanes these days, they are forgetting one little good about them - the replenish the water supply. And the severe LACK of hurricanes and tropical storms hitting the south in recent years (weren't they going to be more plentiful and more powerful Al Gore?)has led to the drought situations we're seeing in places like Texas and Georgia.

[ShadowSot]

Do you know why all hurricanes have female names??

Except Ivan and Dennis, those were pretty bad.

[conspiracybeliever]

Updated forecast for Vermont on Hurricane Irene

In a forecast updated this morning, the National Weather Service has warned Vermonters across the state, as well as northern New Yorkers, to brace for Hurricane Irene.

http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/local/Burlington-Plattsburgh/The_Burlington_Free_Press/SIG=1477kvk1e;_ylc=X3oDMTEwZjIyMDduBF9TAzIwMjM4NTA4MzMEZW1haWxJZAMxMzE0MzcxMTYy/**http%3A%2F%2Fwww.burlingtonfreepress.com%2Farticle%2F20110826%2FNEWS02%2F110826003%2F1007%2FUpdated-forecast-Vermont-Hurricane-Irene

Uh oh....

[ohio traveler]

As much as folks panic over hurricanes these days, they are forgetting one little good about them - the replenish the water supply. And the severe LACK of hurricanes and tropical storms hitting the south in recent years (weren't they going to be more plentiful and more powerful Al Gore?)has led to the drought situations we're seeing in places like Texas and Georgia.

Plus New York City probably needs a good bath. Wash away all of that urine in the streets.

Edited August 26, 2011 by clyde barrow

[ShadowSot]

Plus New York City probably needs a good bath. Wash away all of that urine in the streets.

Think y'have New York confused with New Jersey.

[msmike1]

Of course I hope that everyone in the path of the hurricane is ok, but you would think that armageddon is coming to the east coast. Ever since Katrina the media has been hyping these storms up like crazy. I know that the east coast isn't quite as prepared as us here in the gulf states, but seriously people. It's a category 2 storm predicted to possibly be a 3. I personally doubt it makes it to a 3, but it could. Even if it does, take precautions, hunker down, or evacuate if need be, and lets hope for the best. Please don't listen to the news media about this storm though. You would think it's a category 5 hell bent on the destruction of the human race.

Mike

[EllJay]

Its better to be safe than sorry.

Since the big tsunami 2004 authorities sound the alarm if there is even a hint of a tsunami possible anywhere around the world.

Same with earthquakes , especially after the recent one in Japan. (2004 tsunami was of course also from an earthquake but..)

The tsunami in 2004 took everyone by surprise since no one seem to think it would have such big consequences. Most tsunamis earlier haven't cuased that much havoc, even though they are dangerous.

But the 2004-one was massive.

Same goes after the Katrina I guess.

I bet people in Florida, and around, think Irene is like a flappy fart compared to what they use to get.

But as I said, better safe than sorry.

One thing to be sure is, that if they don't sound the alarm and this one turns out to be a big devastating one, people would have authorities heads on a plate.

[Purplos]

I agree with Mike. We always laugh about all the people running out to buy bread, eggs and milk every time a storm comes or it snows.. or anything. Storm apparently equals french toast around here.

It will be a bad storm, and some people's stuff will get ruined I'm sure. But life will go on.

[Michelle]

I agree with Mike. We always laugh about all the people running out to buy bread, eggs and milk every time a storm comes or it snows.. or anything. Storm apparently equals french toast around here.

Don't forget the toilet paper. Heaven forbid if you actually need any of those items because you are out of luck.

[The Silver Thong]

People in New York city have just been told they should start evacuating the city. Wow.

[newyork]

That is only zone A in NYC, i live in zone B so far no evacuation order.

[Star of the Sea]

Good luck to everyone in her path. Take care and rooting for you all.

[conspiracybeliever]

Actually I love storms. They just makes me feel all cozy and warm and safe looking out at them. I hope we get some really good thunder and lightening at least. I would be shocked if we got a real hurricane here but I guess it is possible. I was sort of half watching the local news last night and they were talking about past storms. The last one we got was 1938.

The hurricane of 1938 may have been the most powerful tropical system in modern history to come our way. And no one was ready for it.

"The forecasters thought it would be a typical hurricane and hit the Carolinas... The storm made an unexpected curve. It hit the Northeast before there were any projections," Strong said. "The people were caught by surprise, that was the big problem. There was no preparation."

It was the last tropical system to hit Vermont with sustained hurricane force winds of 74 mph or greater. Thousands of miles of roads were blocked. Remarkably, only five people were killed.

[MissMelsWell]

I live in Seattle... and earlier this week we were quite unashamedly making fun of your earthquake... LOL However, this is far more serious.

My daughter and her fiancee (I've finally given in to calling him that now lol) lived for a year on Rockaway beach in NYC. Her Fiancee's father still lives there, alone, and is in his 80s. We're quite worried about him. We know from reading the news that Rockaway has been evacuated. Fortunately, he's a spry guy and has no known health or mental problems, but it's still worrisome. I hope they let me know soon what his status is.

[Rosenrot]

Of course I hope that everyone in the path of the hurricane is ok, but you would think that armageddon is coming to the east coast. Ever since Katrina the media has been hyping these storms up like crazy. I know that the east coast isn't quite as prepared as us here in the gulf states, but seriously people. It's a category 2 storm predicted to possibly be a 3. I personally doubt it makes it to a 3, but it could. Even if it does, take precautions, hunker down, or evacuate if need be, and lets hope for the best. Please don't listen to the news media about this storm though. You would think it's a category 5 hell bent on the destruction of the human race.

Mike

The media has blown this out of proportion. I remember at stronger storms that have hit the eastern seaboard and none got the media sensationalism that Irene has. Give it a rest. But I gotta point out, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia been getting hurricanes just as long as the Gulf. We know what we're doing. It's New England that everyone is worried about and rightfully so. I think I remember hearing the last time New York was hit with a hurricane was in the 1960's.

[preacherman76]

4 am, 1 hour north of NYC, and we still have power. My lawn is flooded beyond belief, but we still have power

[conspiracybeliever]

4 am, 1 hour north of NYC, and we still have power. My lawn is flooded beyond belief, but we still have power

What the heck are you doing up at 4am? It's raining here but nothing major. Not even any thunder and lightening.

[preacherman76]

What the heck are you doing up at 4am? It's raining here but nothing major. Not even any thunder and lightening.

I dont know. Over the last couple weeks Ive been waking up really early, and cant go back to sleep. It sux.

We are expecting the worst of the storm around noon.