Hurricane Irene makes landfall in N.C.

[cal04]

Source: MSNBC

Category 1 storm extremely dangerous, forecasters say; 2.3 million ordered out across East Coast

Hurricane Irene made landfall in North Carolina early Saturday, losing some power but still whipping up trouble even before a potentially 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.

Shortly after the Category 1 storm made landfall near Cape Lookout, N.C., forecasters said Irene's winds had dropped to 85 mph. Irene's maximum sustained winds had topped 100 mph a day earlier.

Nonetheless, forecasters say Irene remains a large and dangerous storm as it moves toward the mid-Atlantic and New England. It was just north of Cape Lookout on Saturday morning, moving north-northeast at 14 mph.

"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."

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44297053/ns/weather/

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Irene slams into North Carolina coast
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/08/27/tropical.weather/index.html?hpt=hp_t1



Hurricane Irene lands near Cape Lookout
http://www.wral.com/weather/story/10052777/

http://www.wral.com/weather/story/10052806/

[Omaha Steve]

1. Hurricane-force winds hit coast as Irene soaks NC

Source: AP

By MICHAEL BIESECKER and JENNIFER PELTZ

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. (AP) - Hurricane-force winds and drenching rains from Irene battered the North Carolina coast early Saturday as the storm began its potentially 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 Irene's maximum sustained winds were around 85 mph on Saturday morning, down from about 100 mph a day earlier. But they warned the hurricane would remain a large and powerful one throughout the day as it trekked toward the mid-Atlantic.

"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."

Hurricane-force winds first arrived near Jacksonville, N.C., around 6:15 a.m. A little more than an hour later, the storm's center passed near the southern tip of North Carolina's Outer Banks. The eye of the storm is typically calm, but the storm's wind and rain are far from over. Forecasters said the landfall has little significance, as Irene remains a dangerous storm.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20110827/D9PCDQU81.html

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Hurricane Irene's outer bands reach Kill Devil Hills, N.C., early Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011. Hurricane Irene has weakened to a Category 1 storm as it nears the North Carolina coast but forecasters say it remains extremely dangerous. Hurricane warnings were issued from North Carolina to New York, and 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. (AP Photo/Robert Ray)

[Nick Hermann]

3. Up here in Philly

I'm in Philly and hoping it fizzles out by the time it gets here, although I do admit I'd relish seeing the sheer power of some gale-force winds.

[Baclava]

4. I don't know about fizzling out - - this is a very strange storm

Central pressure is dropping after hitting land, 950 from hurricane hunters, now over mostly marshes and swamps, but still.

Looks like an eyewall trying to re-form

[Baclava]

2. Prepare for an all day rain

[Odin2005]

5. I heard that a 9yo boy was killed by a falling tree!

:cry:

[Baclava]

6. Stay safe - - Weather Channel reported falling tree limb crushes and kills man in Rocky Mount, NC

Falling tree kills Va. child in third storm-related death

At least three people have died from incidents linked to Hurricane Irene. In the latest death, a child in Newport News, Va., was killed after a tree fell on a two-story apartment building, WAVY TV reports. The child was between the ages of 9 and 11 years old. WAVY reports that the child's mother was asleep upstairs with an infant child when the accident occurred. She came down the stairs, saying, "Where is my baby, where is my baby?" referring to the missing child. It took rescue teach two hours to locate the child in the rubble

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2011/08/warnings-of-major-power-outages-on-the-east-coast/1


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Irene still looking healthy as hell

[Odin2005]

7. She is a beast, larger than many nor'easters. Jesus.

[Baclava]

9. Track veering a bit west again

NJ / NYC.... + 18hrs - stormpulse projecting 75 mph winds over NYC, 7 am Sunday:


http://www.stormpulse.com/atlantic?desc=NHC&idx=2&trk=3&sid=201109&lat=39.685&lon=-73.88&z=5&rd=0&cd=0&tk=1&ww=0&mo=1&sl=0&ht=0&mg=0&ob=1&wf=1&ml=1&ql=0

[malletgirl02]

8. That is horrible

I'm sorry to her about the little boy.