Environment

Hurricane Irene Weakens to Category 1 as Top Sustained Winds Drop to 90 MPH

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. (AP) – Hurricane Irene zeroed in on land Saturday, losing some power but still whipping up trouble even before a catastrophic run up the Eastern Seaboard. More than 2 million people were told to move to safer places, and New York City ordered the nation’s biggest subway system shut down for the first time because of a natural disaster.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami said the enormous storm’s top sustained winds were down to 90 mph early Saturday from 100 mph overnight but warned that Irene would remain a hurricane as it moves up the mid-Atlantic coast, even after losing some more strength once it hits land.

“The hazards are still the same,” NHC hurricane specialist Mike Brennan said. “The emphasis for this storm is on its size and duration, not necessarily how strong the strongest winds are.”

As the storm’s outer bands of wind and rain lashed the North Carolina coast, knocking out power in places, authorities farther north begged people to get out of harm’s way. The hurricane was still packing 100 mph winds early Saturday, and officials in the Northeast, not used to tropical weather, feared it could wreak devastation.

Tornado watches and warnings were in effect along the coast ahead of the hurricane. A coastal town official in North Carolina said witnesses believed a tornado spawned by Irene lifted the roof off the warehouse of a car dealership in Belhaven on Friday night and damaged a mobile home, an outbuilding and trees.

“Don’t wait. Don’t delay,” said President Barack 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.”

Senior hurricane specialist Richard Pasch of the National Hurricane Center said there were signs that the hurricane may have weakened slightly, but strong winds continued to extend 90 miles from its center.

The moment Saturday when the eye of the hurricane crosses land “is not as important as just being in that big swath,” Pasch said. “And unfortunately, it’s a big target.”

The storm’s center was about 60 miles south of Cape Lookout, N.C., early Saturday as the storm lumbered north-northeastward at 14 mph.

Wind and rains knocked out power to about 45,000 customers along the coast, including a hospital in Morehead City. A woman who answered the phone there said the hospital was running on generators.

Hurricane warnings were issued from North Carolina to New York, and watches were posted farther north, on the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard off Massachusetts. Evacuation orders covered at least 2.3 million people, including 1 million in New Jersey, 315,000 in Maryland, 300,000 in North Carolina, 200,000 in Virginia and 100,000 in Delaware.

“This is probably the largest number of people that have been threatened by a single hurricane in the United States,” said Jay Baker, a geography professor at Florida State University.

U.S. airlines canceled at least 6,100 flights through Monday, grounding hundreds of thousands of passengers. The storm could strike major airports from Washington to Boston with heavy rain and dangerous winds. Airlines waived rebooking fees for customers who wanted to delay their flights to more than two dozen cities on the East Coast.

New York City ordered more than 300,000 people who live in flood-prone areas to leave, including Battery Park City at the southern tip of Manhattan, Coney Island and the beachfront Rockaways. But it was not clear how many would do it, how they would get out or where they would go. Most New Yorkers don’t have a car.

On top of that, the city said it would shut down the subways and buses at noon Saturday, only a few hours after the first rain is expected to fall. The transit system carries about 5 million people on an average weekday, fewer on weekends. It has been shut down several times before, including during a transit workers’ strike in 2005 and after the Sept. 11 attacks a decade ago, but never for weather.

Late Friday, aviation officials said they would close the five main New York City-area airports to arriving domestic and international flights beginning at noon on Saturday. Many departures also were canceled.

The airports are John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty International, LaGuardia, Stewart International and Teterboro.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said there was little authorities could do to force people to leave.

“We do not have the manpower to go door-to-door and drag people out of their homes,” he said. “Nobody’s going to get fined. Nobody’s going to go to jail. But if you don’t follow this, people may die.”

Shelters were opening Friday afternoon, and the city was placed under its first hurricane warning since 1985.

Transit systems in New Jersey and Philadelphia also announced plans to shut down, and Washington declared a state of emergency. Boisterous New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie demanded people “get the hell off the beach” in Asbury Park and said: “You’re done. Do not waste any more time working on your tan.”

Thousands of people were already without power. In Charleston, S.C., several people had to be rescued after a tree fell on their car.

Defying the orders, hardy holdouts in North Carolina put plywood on windows, gathered last-minute supplies and tied down boats. More than half the people who live on two remote islands, Hatteras and Ocracoke, had ignored orders to leave, and as time to change their minds ran short, officials ordered dozens of body bags. The last ferry from Ocracoke left at 4 p.m. Friday.

“I anticipate we’re going to have people floating on the streets, and I don’t want to leave them lying there,” said Richard Marlin, fire chief for one of the seven villages on Hatteras. “The Coast Guard will either be pulling people off their roofs like in Katrina or we’ll be scraping them out of their yards.”

Officially, Irene was expected to make landfall Saturday near Morehead City, on the southern end of the Outer Banks, the barrier island chain. But long before the eye crossed the coastline, the blustery winds and intermittent rains were already raking the coast. By Friday evening 50 mph winds were measured at Wrightsville Beach, N.C.

Some took to shelters for protection.

Susan Kinchen, her daughter and 5-month-old granddaughter came to West Carteret High School with about 50 others. She said they didn’t feel safe in their trailer, and the Louisiana native was reminded of how her old trailer lost its roof to Hurricane Katrina, almost six years ago to the day, on Aug. 29, 2005.

“We live in a trailer with her,” said Kinchen, referring to the infant. “I’m not taking any chances.”

Hurricane center meteorologist David Zelinsky said earlier Friday that he expected the storm to arrive as a Category 2 or 3 hurricane. Later in the day, other forecasts showed it would strike most of the coast as a Category 1. The scale runs from 1, barely stronger than a tropical storm, to a monstrous 5. On Friday night, Irene was a Category 2.

The hurricane center said Irene could weaken into a tropical storm before reaching New England, but that even below hurricane strength it would be powerful and potentially destructive.

Regardless of how fierce the storm is when it makes landfall, the coast of North Carolina was expected to get winds of more than 100 mph and waves perhaps as high as 11 feet, Zelinsky said.

“This is a really large hurricane and it is dangerous,” he said. “Whether it is a Category 2 or 3 at landfall, the effects are still going to be strong. I would encourage people to take it seriously.”

Officer Edward Mann was driving down the narrow streets of Nags Head looking for cars in driveways, a telltale sign of people planning to ride out the storm against all advice.

Bucky Domanski, 71, was working in his garage when Mann walked in. He told the officer he planned to stay. Mann handed Domanski a piece of paper with details about the county’s evacuation order. It warned that hurricane force winds would flood the roads and there might not be power or water until well after the storm.

“You understand we can’t help you during the storm,” Mann said.

“I understand,” Domanski replied.

Later as heavy rains drenched Nags Head, Domanski had cooked his favorite dinner of veal parmesan and spaghetti for his wife, Joy.

He planned to watch TV, but knows his satellite dish and power could go out any time. He has plenty of flashlights and candles and plans to go to sleep early.

“So far everything is OK. The rain isn’t bad. I know it could change. But I just don‘t think it’s going to be as bad as they say. I’m hopeful,” he said.

After the Outer Banks, the next target for Irene was the Hampton Roads region of southeast Virginia, a jagged network of inlets and rivers that floods easily. Emergency officials have said the region is more threatened by storm surge, the high waves that accompany a storm, than wind. Gas stations there were low on fuel Friday, and grocery stores scrambled to keep water and bread on the shelves.

In Delaware, Gov. Jack Markell ordered an evacuation of coastal areas on the peninsula the state shares with Delaware and Virginia.

Kenneth Roe was filling up three 5-gallon gas cans at an Exxon station in Salisbury, Md., on Friday night. A manager at a Home Depot in Lewes, Del., the 34-year-old had worked 18 hours straight on Thursday and another five hours on Friday, his day off. He said the store was staying open 24 hours in order to provide supplies and that generators in particular were in high demand. Approximately 50 generators put out at 6 a.m. were gone by 8 a.m., he said, even though each cost $600..

“We’re going to get something no matter what,” he said of the effects of the storm.

Officials at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington said they were speeding the transfer of their last remaining patients to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. The transfer had been planned for Sunday.

In Baltimore’s Fells Point neighborhood, one of the city’s oldest waterfront neighborhoods, people filled sandbags and placed them at the entrances to buildings. A few miles away at the Port of Baltimore, vehicles and cranes continued to unload huge cargo ships that were rushing to offload and get away from the storm.

In New York, the Mets postponed games scheduled for Saturday and Sunday with the visiting Atlanta Braves. The Jets and Giants moved their preseason NFL game up to 2 p.m. Saturday from 7 p.m., but then postponed it until Monday.

And in Atlantic City, N.J., all 11 casinos announced plans to shut down Friday, only the third time that has happened in the 33-year history of legalized gambling in that state.

“I like gambling, but you don’t play with this,” Pearson Callender said as he waited for a Greyhound bus out of town. “People are saying this is an act of God. I just need to get home to be with my family.”

___

Jennifer Peltz reported from New York. Associated Press writers contributing to this report were Tim Reynolds in Miami; Bruce Shipkowski in Surf City, N.J.; Geoff Mulvihill in Trenton, N.J.; Wayne Parry in Atlantic City, N.J.; Eric Tucker in Washington; Martha Waggoner in Raleigh, N.C.; Mitch Weiss in Nags Head, N.C.; Alex Dominguez in Baltimore; Brock Vergakis in Virginia Beach, Va.; Jonathan Fahey in New York; and Seth Borenstein in Washington.

Comments (70)

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  • ddg7
    Posted on August 27, 2011 at 9:28am

    See if there’s a pattern here:
    ‘A default on our debt would be catastrophic’
    ‘Failure to save our automobile industry would be catastrophic’
    ‘If we don’t raise our debt level it will be catastrophic for world markets’
    ‘Major earthquake strikes east coast’
    ‘Hurricane Irene will be devastating’

    Report Post »  
    • Mil-Dot
      Posted on August 27, 2011 at 9:45am

      It was nothing but overblown hype to boost TV viewership for weather channels. It was total BS. Everytime I hear of a hurricane be news, I laugh and say so what. They moved there, let them eat it.

      Report Post »  
  • Wilma
    Posted on August 27, 2011 at 9:23am

    As a Floridian, I am laughing at the coverage. Reporters standing in a strong wind with barely swaying grass. Others calling it a monster. I’d take a category 1 hurricane over a blizzard any day.

    Report Post » Wilma  
    • biohazard23
      Posted on August 27, 2011 at 10:47am

      Wilma, I’m with you, sister! While I do feel bad for those folks in the Carolinas, those poor New Yorkers make me laugh! It’s a big rain storm!! Thought you Yankees were supposed to be a tough bunch…..

      We sat through 4 – yes, 4 – storms within 6 weeks back in 2004. And at least 2 of them were cat 3s. We evacuated for Ivan, but the others? No way. Quit your bellyaching, NY. Be safe, but stop whining, for cryin’ out loud. So you’ll be inconvenienced. Whaaaaaaa!!!

      Report Post » biohazard23  
  • BonnieBlueFlag
    Posted on August 27, 2011 at 9:12am

    Bush’s malevolent weather machine needs a tune-up ;)

    Report Post » BonnieBlueFlag  
  • TommyJH54
    Posted on August 27, 2011 at 9:11am

    “Don’t wait. Don’t delay,” said President Barack 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.”

    I am glad he said that. I am on Cape Cod for my vacation, and now I know I have nothing to worry about. If he says one thing I kow it will be the opposite. He is a wus. I was here when Hurricane Bob hit in 91 and didn’t leave. That was worse than this will be. Come on back here you wus! You forgot your balls! Maybe I should look to see if Geraldo Rivera is coming here now, hanging on for dear life to some tree trunk!

    Report Post » TommyJH54  
  • BONETRAUMA
    Posted on August 27, 2011 at 8:54am

    hype hype hype hype! run sheeple run!

    Report Post »  
    • Mil-Dot
      Posted on August 27, 2011 at 9:48am

      Exactly, run to the govt shelters. We will give you food and water and a warm place to sleep. We will take care of you. You’ll see.

      Report Post »  
    • vtxphantom
      Posted on August 27, 2011 at 12:44pm

      Maybe the storm will go right up Bloomberg‘s and obama’s @ss.

      Report Post »  
  • DanWesson455
    Posted on August 27, 2011 at 8:47am

    The Weather Channel over hypes these things because they KNOW everyone will be on their channel watching this thing for days. They can clean up in the advertising department. More money and more money…..hype hype hype…..This is the only story here….excessive news for a wind storm…

    Report Post » DanWesson455  
  • Ampleforth
    Posted on August 27, 2011 at 8:46am

    Maybe President Obama did some good for the nation. If he speaks at a private industry company, it usually goes out of business a few months later. Whoever he picks in a sporting even usually loses. So, just by talking about how bad Hurricane Irene was going to be, he made the storm fall apart. We could probably spare the east coast any foul weather and change the weekend to bright sunny days if we flew the president right into the eyewall of the storm.

    Report Post »  
    • HKS
      Posted on August 27, 2011 at 8:55am

      I would watch the other hand, they are up to something. Never let a good crisis go to waste, even if you have to make one.

      Report Post » HKS  
  • Jimbo Wales
    Posted on August 27, 2011 at 8:24am

    Anyone that‘s lived in the southeast for ANY amount of time could’ve told you this storm was blown WAY out of proportion. A cat 2 storm will do about ZERO damage, let alone a cat 1. I hope Obama’s hurricane hype machine suffers from blowback from this one.

    Report Post » Jimbo Wales  
    • Secret Squirrel
      Posted on August 27, 2011 at 8:32am

      .
      The weather doom and gloom’ers will be soooo disappointed.
      No live shots of roofs blowing off, no wind whipped reporters.
      Yeah, they’ll find some guy living in a cardboard box, and he’ll re-live his story of terror.
      Now we can wait for the next shiny object to be thrown in the MSM cage.

      Report Post » Secret Squirrel  
    • HKS
      Posted on August 27, 2011 at 8:44am

      Obama does more damage everyday with regulations than this storm could possibly do in its lifetime. I think I saw a figure of 4 billion in damages for this storm, Obama lays 10 billion in regulations on us at a whack and he takes lots of whacks every week.

      Report Post » HKS  
  • hogtrashhd
    Posted on August 27, 2011 at 8:21am

    looks to me that this has been one fizzle shamizzle for the zero man… he was praying but it wasn’t for less damage.. drat… he just can’t get a catastrophe to cover his sorry arse.. why is that gorilla aka moochelle doing on vacation still… people who OWN their property up there can’t get to their yachts and homes to shore them up because that big butt is still there.. how absolutely selfish and self centered.. no surprise there now is there…man I detest these two downtown chicago bluegummers

    Report Post »  
    • KangarooJack
      Posted on August 27, 2011 at 9:22am

      That is not right that you can’t check on and/or secure your own property because ‘she’ wants to continue her vacation. Maybe she doesn’t want her $500 sneakers to get wet?

      Report Post » KangarooJack  
  • floradaze
    Posted on August 27, 2011 at 8:06am

    One thing that people who have not experienced a Hurricane don’t quite understand about the storm surge is that it is not what you would think of as a wave. It’s sort of like if you were out in a speedboat on a lake in choppy water. The displacement of the boat moving through the water pushes out a wake behind the boat that makes a V regardless of the direction of the choppy waves.
    The storm pushes the water and raises up the water and then there are waves on top of that from the wind. One more thing, it takes a while to go back down.
    Open beaches are not as affected as inlets and rivers are. Think of the rain falling off a roof where there is no gutter, it’s spread out, but where there is a gutter and downspout the speed and force of that water is much stronger.
    This is from someone who sat out a cat 4 on a tiny island in the Fl Keys in 1960 and who grew up with stories from my father of his helping to pick up the bodies after the 1935 storm went through the Keys. One gruesome note is that they were almost all nude from the force of the water.
    I have never met anyone who said they were glad they sat in front of a Cat 4.
    Yes, this storm has weakened in wind speed, but the storm surge once it gets built does not dissipate quickly just because the winds lessen. If you are in a low lying area get to higher ground.
    May the Good Lord Bless you and keep you safe if you are in the path of this behemoth.
    Don’t forget, he gave us free will to take care of ourselves.

    Report Post »  
  • Rayblue
    Posted on August 27, 2011 at 8:06am

    Count your blessings East coast.
    Disaster is far away on a TV screen. No so much when you’re the story.

    Report Post » Rayblue  
  • LOLReally
    Posted on August 27, 2011 at 7:36am

    Oh my, gusts up to 60mph. Now its time to worry. Pray for your lives, 60mph winds!

    Report Post »  
  • Banned on the Blaze
    Posted on August 27, 2011 at 7:30am

    Someone said we are in for rain. Where, when, the sun is shinning here. Wow this storm must be covering all of North America by now.

    Hang on breaking news, this storm is so big, it wiped out the US debt, more to come in our late breaking news segment.

    ………….. late breaking news…………………..

    Storm swallows debt, snookie, and Al Sharpton, although unconfirmed reports tell us CNN, and MSNBC has been destroyed.

    Report Post »  
  • bigbear_awake
    Posted on August 27, 2011 at 7:19am

    “Don’t let a good crisis go to waste” thats right Watch the other hand

    Report Post » bigbear_awake  
    • Mil-Dot
      Posted on August 27, 2011 at 9:54am

      Yeah, agreed. Barry and his goons were hoping that it would smash people to bits so that they would have to run crying and screaming for the govt to “help” them. Then, they would laugh at all of the white people and say, ” sorry, you make too much money, you do not qualify for assistance”. Like they did last year with the floods.

      Report Post »  
    • bearfoothillbilly
      Posted on August 27, 2011 at 1:12pm

      This thing wount let me reply so this is my responce to bigbear_awake
      post on page one of this thred. and Mil-Dot
      Posted on August 27, 2011 at 9:54am
      Yeah, agreed. Barry and his goons were hoping that it would smash people to bits so that they would have to run crying and screaming for the govt to “help” them. Then, they would laugh at all of the white people and say, ” sorry, you make too much money, you do not qualify for assistance”. Like they did last year with the floods.

      my incert:

      Dont forget the govs statment at the start of this regime.
      “White Men need NOT apply.”
      So if you are a white male this admenastration dose not give a damn about you.

      Report Post » bearfoothillbilly  
  • goofyfoot2001
    Posted on August 27, 2011 at 7:19am

    I’m in Myrtle Beach and here to tell ya that this is hurricane Puss. Max sustained winds are pretty cool, not much more. They’re asking people to stay off the beach until the storm has passed according to the TV news anchor. Behind him are wave reaching heights of 3 to 4 inches…kid you not.

    Report Post »  
  • EP46
    Posted on August 27, 2011 at 7:15am

    Sat. am
    We are sitting here on the SC coast about an hour south of NC…BIG WAVES, lots of wind, lots and lots of rain, lost power for about 5 hrs. but all seems fine now. We are so very, very lucky. Join us in praying for all the people in the path of Irene.

    Report Post »  
    • goofyfoot2001
      Posted on August 27, 2011 at 7:25am

      What planet are you on? There are no waves nor much of anything. This is a category H storm. Hysteria.

      Report Post »  
    • Mil-Dot
      Posted on August 27, 2011 at 9:55am

      Nope, it is a category “Y” -yawn

      Report Post »  
  • Ravings of a lunatic planet
    Posted on August 27, 2011 at 7:05am

    It‘s Bush’s fault! oh wait, it’s a good thing……….then it‘s Obama’s fault, right?

    Report Post » Ravings of a lunatic planet  
    • ecurbyy
      Posted on August 27, 2011 at 7:18am

      This is a good thing for Obama because now he can blame the economy and high unemployment on global warming! But he will probably still blame global warming on Bush.

      Report Post » ecurbyy  
  • Cape_Lookout_RW_Extremist
    Posted on August 27, 2011 at 6:53am

    Maybe I can check on the boat this afternoon and see if it’s still there. Tied it up pretty good yesterday in one of the canals in Atlantic Beach but the surge takes no prisoners some times. Waves are 40 feet high 35 miles out from Lookout. There’re 15 feet slamming the shoreline this morning on Atlantic Beach.

    Report Post » Cape_Lookout_RW_Extremist  
  • Ronko
    Posted on August 27, 2011 at 6:38am

    There’s not much anybody can do at this point, hunker down and let God protects us.

    Report Post »  
  • GO-FOR-LIBERTY
    Posted on August 27, 2011 at 6:11am

    The big 0 was on tv again? Giving another speech? Well blow me down with a feather. Maybe he wants to be like Castro—put his hand up to direct the storm—-he is god like some have said.

    Report Post »  
  • MastrSSG
    Posted on August 27, 2011 at 5:31am

    Listening to Obama last night I got the distinct feeling he was excited for the storm. Yet another opportunity for him to push his agenda of redistribution of wealth. “Don’t let a good crisis go to waste” A weakened storm should piss him right off. Minimal damage with no need to pass another stimulus bill. Or at the very least an opportunity to shift the blame for his utter incompetence, lack of leadership, and complete failed policies.

    I thank God it isn’t as bad as we thought in the first place, and pray for those who are suffering and need help. They wont get it from the White House.

    Report Post » MastrSSG  
  • OLDBIKEFIXER
    Posted on August 27, 2011 at 5:23am

    Irene has already fizzled down to a Cat-1, and will break down even more as it travels up the coast. The ocean water is colder along the North-Eastern coast, which will draw most of the strength from the storm, and if Irene heads inland, it will immediately lose power until it’s little more than a typical rainy day. Any amateur weather-watcher could have predicted this, but TV news & weather ratings don‘t peak if there isn’t a possibility of something terrible happening.

    I guess if there isn’t much else for the TV news people to talk about, they just sensationalize the weather. Works every time.

    When is everyone going to catch on to this scheme?

    Report Post » OLDBIKEFIXER  
    • SheriS
      Posted on August 27, 2011 at 7:18am

      Thank heavens—Woke up to pouring rain and minimum wind! When I went to bed it was a 3 and woke up to a 1! Praise the Lord! An earthquake and a hurricane in the same week isn’t a good thing to go thru!

      Report Post »  
  • poverty.sucks
    Posted on August 27, 2011 at 5:19am

    The Hand of God always finds a way to bring us closer togther.

    http://youtu.be/xHgNCj4DU_M

    Report Post » poverty.sucks  
    • macpappy
      Posted on August 27, 2011 at 8:30am

      I’m sorry, no disrespect….but how does that Hand of God thing work…Let’s see the Hand Of God sends us an earth quake, then a Hurricane, destroys land, homes, lives, and people die. Then it is that same Hand Of God that people attribute to the “Humanity” that brings the survivor together to help each other. Sorry, but that is a hard argument to make.
      It’s more likely that were “God” involved….he just delivered a bitch slap to those affected.
      I prefer to think that “chance” has more of a hand than God.

      Report Post » macpappy  
  • IAMNOTKNOWING
    Posted on August 27, 2011 at 4:40am

    How much you wanna bet it floods D.C. by overflowing the Patomic?

    I wonder if the dufus in the White House is even catching the clues from “THE Big Guy” as to how he should vote next month on the b.s. U.N. vote on recognizing an illegitimate Palenstian ‘State.’??

    If not.. Alabama and Joplin, in addition to all the rest of our troubles have only just begun!

    Report Post » IAMNOTKNOWING  
  • Diane TX
    Posted on August 27, 2011 at 4:17am

    This kind of hurricane only seems to happen every hundred years or so. We have had a lot of these hundred years or so happening lately. Earthquakes where they are unexpected. Hurricanes where they are unexpected. I drove 1500 miles from Maryland to Texas when hurricane Katrina happened. Somehow, I missed driving anywhere close to Katrina. I arrived safe and sound with only a cracked windshield on my SUV.

    Report Post »  
    • loriann12
      Posted on August 27, 2011 at 6:43am

      The day after Katrina, I moved from Missouri to the Dallas area. I remember because gas prices had jumped so dramatically and we had to fill a moving van with gas…ouch.

      Report Post »  
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