U.S. braces for Hurricane Irene (725 hits)

MIAMI — Residents in Florida and nearby states stocked up on supplies, dusted off evacuation plans and readied for the worst as Irene, the first hurricane to threaten the U.S. in three years, cut a destructive path through the Caribbean.
U.S. officials warned the storm could flood streets and knock down power lines as far north as the northeastern region of New England.

Hurricane Irene, which already has raked the Caribbean, could cause serious problems along the entire Eastern Seaboard, Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Craig Fugate said Tuesday during a conference call with reporters. Fugate urged people not to become complacent, even though the forecast is still uncertain and the storm may be days from hitting the U.S.

“We need to remind people, hurricanes are not just a Southern thing. This could be the mid-Atlantic and the northeast coast,” Fugate said. “We’ve got a lot of time for people to get ready, but we don’t have forever.” Officials on North Carolina’s Ocracoke Island — where Irene appeared to be taking dead aim as of Tuesday — were taking no chances. Tourists were ordered to evacuate Wednesday, while residents were told to be off the island by Thursday, said Tommy Hutcherson, who serves on the local board that issues such orders.

Hutcherson, who also owns the Ocracoke Variety Store, said authorities have to issue such orders early because of the limited capacity of the ferries. Still, that doesn’t mean everyone will leave. “I’ll be here,” said Hutcherson, a 29-year resident who has ridden out numerous past storms. “A lot of the locals will choose to stay.” Many people already have begun stocking up on essentials such as bottled water, gasoline and plywood for boarding up windows.

It’s possible Irene will make landfall over the North Carolina coast, then move to the north into the Chesapeake Bay region sometime Sunday. However, because such projections can be uncertain, it’s also possible Irene could straddle the coast. If Irene does move into the Mid-Atlantic area, it could threaten plans for dedicating a memorial to Martin Luther King Jr. Fugate said officials were discussing whether to hold Sunday’s dedication ceremony. Tens of thousands are expected to attend the event at the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Irene already has brought torrential rains, flooding and dangerous winds to the Caribbean. The storm slashed directly across Puerto Rico, tearing up trees and knocking out power to more than a million people. It then headed out to sea, north of the Dominican Republic, where the powerful storm’s outer bands were buffeting the north coast with dangerous sea surge and downpours. President Barack Obama declared an emergency for Puerto Rico, making it eligible for federal help.

Hundreds were displaced by flooding in the Dominican Republic, forced to take refuge in churches, schools or relatives’ homes. Electricity also was cut in some areas. “Everything filled with water, there was just water everywhere,” said Maria Altagracia Fernandez, who spent Monday night sleeping on the floor with her five children and about 100 other people at a shelter in the fishing town of Boba, 225 kilometres northeast of Santo Domingo. Irene was forecast to pass over or near the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas by Tuesday night and be near the central Bahamas early Wednesday.

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/...




Posted By: Jen Fad
Tuesday, August 23rd 2011 at 5:25PM
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