Hurricane Irene Grows Stronger Taking Aim at US East Coast
Emergency officials are quickening the pace in the southeastern US as Hurricane Irene is forecast to become a massive storm which could make landfall in the United States by the weekend. Irene is intensifying as it churns in a northwesterly direction over the warm waters of the Caribbean. All along the East Coast, residents are boarding up and packing up in preperation of the storm system. Communities in Boston, Washington DC, and down the Coast to Norfolk and Virginia Beach are on high alert.
The eastern portion of North Carolina is looking to be a possible parking spot for Irene. This hurricane is the first of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season which formed early Monday. The storm was upgraded to a Category 2 by Monday night. Forecasters say that Irene can grow to become a Category 3 storm with winds over 130 miles per hour before it hits land in the United States and it could turn into a Category 4 when it does get close to land. Ike was the last hurricane to reach landfall US in 2008 when it thrashed Texas.
The National Hurricane Center predicts that Irene will make landfall late Saturday or early Sunday around the Wilmington, North Carolina. If Irene does move a bit eastward, it could hit the Outer Banks hard which means either way, the residents of North Carolina need to keep on their toes because it will be a very serious weather situation. If the storm does hit North Carolina, heavy winds, flooding and coastal storm surges are very likely. State work crews are making sure that emergency equipment is in good order. They are also seeing to it that there is enough food and water on hand which may be necessary to pass out to evacuated residents living in the hardest-hit areas.
If the current forecast holds, Hurricane Irene can nearly match the destructive force of Hurricane Hugo which made landfall north of Charleston, NC in 1989 with wind speeds in excess of 130 mph. Over two dozen North Carolina residents lost their lives in the storm and it did over $17 billion worth of damage to the state. The storm is now predicted to impact households from North Carolina to Boston Massachusetts. The major storm has over 40 million properties in its cross hairs, and could cause millions of dollars in damages.
People living in the southern portion of North Carolina are being urged to secure their properties and to come up with family emergency plans for family members and pets. At least three days worth of canned food and water should be readied. An emergency kit containing medications, first aide supplies, flashlight, radio, batteries and cell phone should also be put together.
