FIRST BLIZZARD OF 2016 PUMMELS EAST COAST - CHARLOTTE TOO

@Blizzard2016

FIRST BLIZZARD OF 2016 PUMMELS EAST COAST - CHARLOTTE TOO:

STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARED.

MORE SNOW, ICY ROADS & POWER OUTAGES

PLEASE STAY HOME.


~ More Sleet, Snow Expected For Charlotte Region

The first winter storm of the season left icy roads across the Charlotte region Friday, and forecasters said several more rounds of snow and sleet are expected before the precipitation comes to an end Saturday.

If there was a bright spot to the storm, which is expected to turn into a raging blizzard farther up the East Coast, it was that Charlotte appeared to escape the heavy freezing rain that meteorologists had feared.

Instead, the heaviest freezing rain as of Friday afternoon fell in the South Carolina Upstate and to the east in the North Carolina Sandhills.

Duke Energy, which had recruited more than 1,000 out-of-state utility workers for possible line repairs, reported at mid-afternoon that there were about 30,000 power outages in the Carolinas.

Nearly half those – about 13,000 – were in Greenville County, S.C.

Instead, Charlotte-area residents dealt with heavy sleet and, farther to the northwest, several inches of snow.

The National Weather Service says the winter storm warning for Charlotte will extend until 7 p.m. Saturday. Sleet and some freezing rain are expected to continue in the region Friday afternoon and evening, but the precipitation is forecast to change to snow in the early-morning hours Saturday.

The Weather Service’s computer guidance indicated a band of heavy snow could form early Saturday in the Piedmont and Foothills, perhaps bringing 2 or 3 inches to parts of the Charlotte area.

Clearing is forecast Saturday evening, and the weather is expected to be clear and cold Sunday for the Panthers-Cardinals NFC Championship Game in Charlotte.

Meteorologists had warned that a half-inch of ice could accumulate in Charlotte – enough to cause major problems with downed tree limbs and power lines. Instead, it was mostly sleet that fell from the bands of precipitation that moved across the region during the day.

Sleet does not create power outage problems but is a major headache for road crews.

Local and state officials urged area residents to remain on guard, despite the several hours of precipitation-free conditions that developed late Friday morning.

“The big message here is it continues to be a fluid situation,” Charlotte City Manager Ron Carlee said. “We’re in a lull. As it’s been suggested, we’re in halftime. But the second half could be worse, and it could go into overtime.”

Gov. Pat McCrory said in a news conference in Raleigh, “Now is not the time to let down your guard.”

The precipitation began, as expected, shortly before midnight Thursday evening as rain. It changed to sleet a few hours later in Charlotte, coating the streets with a layer of congealed ice pellets.

To the north and northwest, the precipitation fell as snow. The National Weather Service said it received several reports of 8 inches or more in and around Asheville, and there were widespread reports of 4-7 inches along the Interstate 40 corridor.

Col. William Grey, head of the N.C. Highway Patrol, said troopers helped 100 motorists get their stranded vehicles off roads Friday morning. The Highway Patrol responded to 571 collisions through Friday morning and 800 calls for service.

Hickory police were investigating a fatal crash that might have been weather-related. Police said one person was killed when a car went off a roadway in the early-morning hours. Snow was falling at the time.

“We strongly encourage everyone not to travel unless absolutely necessary,” Grey said.

Charlotte Department of Transportation director Danny Pleasant said 72 crew members, divvied among 36 trucks, were working 12-hour shifts to cover area roads with salt and brine.

Duke Energy had called in 2,800 crew members from Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Michigan, Indiana, Oklahoma and Texas to help manage outages in the Carolinas, said district manager Tim Gause. “The full impact of the storm system is unknown at this time, but I want you to be prepared,” he said.

American Airlines canceled all flights in and out of Charlotte Douglas International Airport on Friday.

The airline operates more than 90 percent of the daily flights in Charlotte, so air travel to and from the city was largely stopped until Saturday morning, when American plans to resume air service from the city.

Flights were also canceled Friday for Delta, United, Southwest, Lufthansa, Air Canada, ViaAir and JetBlue.

Schools across the region canceled classes, and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools announced that SAT testing scheduled for Saturday would not take place.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame’s induction dinner and ceremony scheduled for Friday evening was postponed until 1 p.m. Saturday, said executive director Winston Kelley.

Charlotte area postal officials suspended mail collection from the family blue collection boxes Friday.

Mail delivery was suspended Friday for customers in ZIP codes beginning with 280, 281, 282, 287, 288 and 297.
Retail services also were suspended.


Sources: NBC News, Charlotte Observer, National Weather Service

Heat Wave Hammers Mid-Atlantic, East & Southern States: Elderly & Homeless Most Vulnerable

Lives in danger as many seek refuge from extreme heat

People in a huge swath of the United States are being urged to seek out shelters as needed on Sunday as a historic heat wave continues to bring sizzling temperatures -- including to some who have lost power.

Extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States.

Twenty states were either partially or entirely under excessive heat warnings or heat advisories on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

Temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit were expected in much of the Southeast.

New York City was among the sites in the Northeast facing heat advisories.

The National Weather Service said the advisory would be in effect from noon until 7 p.m. ET for the city, with temperatures expected in the mid-90s. When combined with humidity, it could feel like 100 degrees.

Over the past week, nearly 1600 high temperatures have been broken -- including 140 all-time highs, according to the National Climatic Data Center. Statistics for Saturday, when more records were broken, were not yet available.

Meanwhile, a derecho -- or massive storm -- that moved across the Ohio Valley to the Northeast on Friday left 12 people dead and millions without electricity.

Many remained without power on Sunday.

Some residents in the affected areas, particularly between Chicago and Washington, were likely to see high temperatures in the 90s or even 100 on Sunday, said CNN Meterologist Sarah Dillingham. "Even with areas seeing temperatures in the 80s to low 90s, no air conditioning will still pose a major threat."

"Residents who have no air conditioning are urged to find local cooling shelters or other air conditioned establishments to keep cool. It is imperative people do anything they can to try and beat the heat."

Cities throughout the affected regions opened cooling shelters and sites offering water.

"I'm very concerned with the problems created by the combination of power outages and severe heat," said Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who said it could take up to a week to get the power back up to everybody in the state.

Kasich also called out the Ohio National Guard to check on and help the state's most vulnerable, primarily the elderly and the ill.

While crews worked around the clock to restore power, hundreds of thousands of customers remained without electricity on Sunday.

FirstEnergy said four of its utility companies combined still had well over 300,000 customers without power Saturday night. AEP Ohio said it had more than 500,000 customers without power Saturday night.

BGE said Sunday morning it had more than 300,000 customers in Maryland still without power.

The deaths from Friday's storm stretched from Ohio to New Jersey. Most were the result of downed trees and power lines, according to officials.

The destruction prompted state of emergency declarations by governors of Maryland, Ohio, West Virginia and Virginia.

"This is not a one-day situation; it is a multiday challenge," said Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, who called it the largest power outage unrelated to a hurricane in the state's history.

In West Virginia, power outages forced the closure of a large number of gas stations after pumps were rendered inoperable.

Brian Duckworth waited in line for gas for nearly two hours in Vienna, along the West-Virginia-Ohio border.

"I wouldn't even be here because I have plenty of gas in my truck," Duckworth told CNN affiliate WTAP. "But I have to get gas for my generators and some backup gas."

The storm also affected Amtrak service, including shutting down service between Washington and Philadelphia on Saturday.

Those most inconvenienced were aboard a train that ended up grinding to a halt Friday night in Prince, West Virginia, after trees blocked tracks both in front of and behind it, Amtrak spokesman Steve Kulm said.

By late Saturday night, the 232 passengers -- who stayed aboard the Chicago-bound train, which had air conditioning and food -- had been taken off and put on buses so they could reach their final destinations, according to Kulm.

The storm's deaths included six in Virginia and two children in New Jersey, cousins who huddled with their families in a tent in Parvin State Park when strong winds felled a pine tree, crushing them.

Their relatives all survived relatively unscathed, said Larry Ragonese, a spokesman for New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection.

In Washington, a couple was electrocuted after they went outside to check on downed power lines. The husband was killed while the wife -- who is in critical condition at a local hospital with burns -- is expected to survive, said police spokesman Araz Alali.

Emergency rooms in Prince George's County, Maryland, filled up over the weekend by people looking to escape the heat, said Fran Phillips, deputy secretary for the state's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

She noted that libraries and community centers across the state would stay open late to act as cooling centers.

Even in places where power was not disrupted, people with no air conditioning were advised to spend the day in a library, a cooling center or some other such place to avoid heat exhaustion.

In Atlanta, where temperatures hit a record-breaking 106 degrees on Saturday and were projected to hit 103 degrees on Sunday, cooling centers were ordered open across the city.


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Sources: CNN, McClatchy Newspapers, Google Maps

Time To PRAY Against Hurricane IRENE! Psalm 91 (Prayer Videos)

Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God

Psalm 91

1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”

3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler[a]
And from the perilous pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
8 Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
10 No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
11 For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
12 In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.”

Sources: Biblegateway, Youtube

Bloomberg Shuts Down Nation's Largest Mass Transit System For Irene; Evacuates Sick & Elderly

N.Y.C. to Shut Mass Transit for Storm

With Hurricane Irene pushing relentlessly toward the East Coast, officials made plans to shut down New York City’s sprawling subway and bus system beginning at noon on Saturday, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said.

The commuter rail lines that serve Long Island, Westchester County and Connecticut will also be shut down.

Officials decided to go ahead with the transit shutdown, which they had first mentioned on Thursday as a possibility at a City Hall briefing on Thursday, as the city was evacuating hospitals and nursing homes in low-lying areas. Sstate officials continued arrangements for coordinating emergency services and restoring electricity if the storm does the kind of damage many fear.

Some Atlantic City casinos made plans to stop rolling the dice and turn off the slot machines by 8 p.m. Friday. The naval submarine base in Groton, Conn., sent four submarines out to ride out the storm deep in the Atlantic Ocean. And Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey said that all lanes of 28-mile stretch of a major highway in Ocean County would go in only one direction — westward — beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday to help speed the trip away from Long Beach Island.

Those preparations came as states of emergency remained in effect in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Homeowners scrambled to cover windows with plywood and boaters struggled to get their vessels away from docks.

In New York, apartment dwellers with balconies and terraces hauled in patio furniture and potted plants, and stores ran short on staples like batteries, flashlights and bottled water. In shore towns on Long Island and in New Jersey, vacationers waited in lines at gasoline stations and watched as emergency crews piled sandbags on low-lying beach roads.

The hurricane watch for the city was a formal indication that forecasters saw a potential threat within 24 to 36 hours. It was issued 14 hours after Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said the city was ready with “evacuation contingencies” for low-lying places like Coney Island in Brooklyn, Battery Park City in Lower Manhattan and parts of Staten Island and the Rockaways in Queens — areas that are home to 250,000 people.

The mayor said Thursday that the city was ordering nursing homes and hospitals in those areas to evacuate residents and patients beginning at 8 a.m. Friday unless they receive special permission from state and city health officials, among them the city’s health commissioner, Dr. Thomas A. Farley, who, the mayor noted, was chairman of the community health sciences department at Tulane University when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005.

The evacuation order covered 22 hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities for older people.

The city also ordered construction work halted until 7 a.m. Monday. With the worst of the storm expected on a weekend, a time when relatively few construction crews would normally be on the job, the Buildings Department said Friday that its inspectors were checking construction sites to see that equipment had been secured. The department said it would check over the weekend that builders complied with the no-work order.

Anticipation of the hurricane disrupted other rituals of late summer. New York University postponed its move-in day for undergraduates, which had been scheduled for Sunday, James Devitt, a university spokesman, said. Students will not be able to move into university housing until Monday.

Columbia University also shifted its move-in day from from Sunday to Monday and Tuesday, according to an e-mail from Brian Connolly, a university spokesman. He also said that campus events on Sunday and Monday, including a welcome reception and a convocation ceremony, had been cancelled and would be rescheduled.

At a City Hall briefing on Thursday evening, the mayor said the five hospitals in the low-lying areas were reducing their caseloads and canceling elective surgeries on Friday to be ready for emergencies over the weekend. One, Coney Island Hospital, is to begin moving patients to vacant beds in other parts of the city on Friday, he said.

Mr. Bloomberg said he would decide by Saturday morning whether to order a general evacuation of the low-lying areas.

He also said he was revoking permits for events in the city on Sunday and in the low-lying areas on Saturday. The Sunday cancellations apparently included a concert on Governors Island by the Dave Matthews Band. A statement on the band’s Web site said people with tickets for that show should attend the Friday or Saturday performance. But the Web site said to check for updates on Friday.

The mayor said 300 street fairs over the weekend “would have to be curtailed” to keep streets clear for hurricane-related transportation — ambulances carrying patients to nursing homes or hospitals on higher ground, buses and city-owned trucks moving to where they would be ready for duty once the hurricane had swept by.

Mr. Bloomberg said people should stay out of parks because high winds could bring down trees. “And incidentally,” he said, “it’s a good idea to stay out of your own backyard if you have trees there.”

The mayor cautioned that forecasts were not always accurate and that the hurricane, a sprawling storm still far away, could become weaker.

“We’re talking about something that is a long time away in meteorological terms,” he said, “so what we have to do is assume the worst, prepare for that, and hope for the best.”

That seemed to be the official mantra from South Jersey to coastal Connecticut on Thursday. In East Hampton, N.Y., crews removed sidewalk benches so they would not blow away if Hurricane Irene howled through. In Long Beach, N.Y., maintenance crews used a different kind of defensive maneuver, building up berms that they hoped would block the waves.

In New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie told shore-area residents hoping to sit out the storm that “it is not the smart thing to do.” He said people who were thinking about a weekend along the coast should think again.

“Do not go,” he said.

Mr. Christie also urged people on barrier islands to leave. “Right now, I’m asking people to do this voluntarily,” he said. “I am actively considering a mandatory evacuation, but I’m not there yet.”

Officials elsewhere echoed his concern about areas closest to the Atlantic Ocean. On Long Island, the Islip town supervisor, Phil Nolan, called for a voluntary evacuation of Fire Island “to avoid a rush of people as the storm nears Long Island.”

Cape May County, N.J., went a step further, ordering everyone out. Evacuations of its barrier islands began on Thursday afternoon. People on the mainland were told to leave beginning at 8 a.m. on Friday, said Lenora Boninfante, the county communications director.

In the northern part of the state, the Jets-Giants game at MetLife Stadium was changed to 2 p.m. Saturday from 7 p.m. because of concerns about the weather.

Back in the city, Mr. Bloomberg, along with Joseph F. Bruno, the commissioner of the city’s Office of Emergency Management, instructed residents to take preliminary steps: stock up on basic supplies, identify an alternative place to sleep in the event of an evacuation and prepare a “go bag” of essentials to allow for a rapid departure, if necessary.

As for a transit shutdown, Jay H. Walder, the chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, said his agency could not guarantee the safety of passengers if winds remained above 39 miles per hour for a sustained period. He said it could take up to eight hours to shut down the system, meaning that transit planners may have to make a judgment call on Saturday, well before the full force of the storm is felt.

And because it takes the agency several hours to restart trains and buses, a shutdown could last through early Monday, if not longer. “It’s hard to predict when it will come back,” Mr. Walder said, “because I can’t really predict for you exactly what will happen in the storm.”

In the event of a shutdown, Mr. Walder said, the transportation authority will aid in evacuation efforts.

Mr. Bloomberg warned New Yorkers to heed any evacuation call as quickly as possible, in case mass-transit options were unavailable.

Certain low-lying areas of the subway system are particularly susceptible to flooding, in Lower Manhattan and on exposed tracks in parts of Brooklyn. Overhead catenary cables, which provide power to commuter rail lines in the suburbs north and east of the city, can be knocked down by winds, and stations on elevated routes could be dangerous for the trains and for passengers waiting to catch them.

Still, against the drumbeat of plans and announcements from officials on Thursday, some all but disregarded the hurricane talk. Dave Merklin of Freeport, N.Y., said he was doing “practically nothing, because I’ve been through so many of these storms.”

“I’ve lived in this house for 40 years,” he said. “I wait until the storm is gone, and then I clean up the mess. I don’t do much in the way of preparation except make sure the doors are closed.”


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Sources: AP, CNN, Euronews, NY Times, Youtube, Google Maps

Obama Leaving Martha's Vineyard, Returning To D.C., IRENE Approaches!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Obama: All signs show Irene will be 'historic' storm

As Hurricane Irene started lashing the Carolinas with rain Friday, President Barack Obama warned coastal residents to prepare for the worst, saying all indications point to Irene being a "historic" storm.

"Don't wait, don't delay," the president said from his vacation on Martha's Vineyard, Mass., where many were already leaving ahead of Irene.

Obama and his family had planned to leave the island on Saturday, but the White House on Friday said it had been moved up to this evening.

Irene not only is packing 105 mph winds, it is also massive: hurricane force winds extend 90 miles from the center, and tropical force winds extend 290 miles. Up to 15 inches of rain could be dumped across the East Coast by the time she barrels through.

With Irene bearing down, hundreds of thousands of people headed inland, made last-minute preparations and monitored its every subtle movement.

Irene had the potential to cause billions of dollars in damage all along a densely populated arc that includes Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Boston and beyond. At least 65 million people are in its projected track.

"One of my greatest nightmares was having a major hurricane go up the whole Northeast coast," said Max Mayfield, a former National Hurricane Center director. "This is going to be a real challenge ... There's going to be millions of people affected."

Rain from Irene's outer bands began falling along the North and South Carolina coast early Friday. Swells and 6- to 9-foot waves were reported along the Outer Banks. Thousands had already lost power as the fringes of the storm began raking the shore and North Carolina was told to expect storm surges up to 11 feet.

The hurricane warning was extended into the Chesapeake Bay as far as Drum Point, and existing warnings remained in effect from North Carolina to New Jersey. A hurricane watch was in effect even farther north and included Long Island, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, Mass.

By late Friday morning, Irene remained a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds near 105 mph — 10 mph less than overnight.

Little change in strength was expected by the time the heart of the storm reaches the North Carolina coast on Saturday and the storm is no longer expected to regain Category 3 status, the National Hurricane Center said.

North Carolina and mid-Atlantic region

In the Tar Heel State, traffic was steady as people left the Outer Banks. Tourists were ordered to leave the barrier islands Thursday and many residents were following as ordered Friday.

At a gas station in Nags Head, Pete Reynolds said he wanted to make sure he had enough fuel for the long trip. The retired 68-year-old teacher spent part of Thursday getting his house ready for the hurricane. Now, he and his wife, Susan, were heading to the New Jersey area to stay with their son's family.

"We felt like we would be OK and we could ride out the storm," said Reynolds, who lives in Nags Head. "But when they announced mandatory evacuations, I knew it was serious."

Speaking Friday on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue said the state has mobilized officials and resources — including Highway Patrol troopers, the Red Cross and National Guardsmen — to deal with the storm's immediate aftermath.

"We're as ready as we can be at this time," she said.

As thousands fled beach towns, some farmers began pulling up their crops.

North Carolina farmer Wilson Daughtry has lost count of how many times his crops have been wiped out by storms that regularly blow up from the tropics.

"That's the price of living in paradise," he said of a fertile farm belt that's weathered an unusually hot and dry summer. Any deluge from Irene's rain bands could wipe out many crops just when they are ready for harvesting.

What's at stake in North Carolina? Latest figures show coastal North Carolina's fields earned nearly $6.3 billion in farm income in 2009 alone from its tobacco, corn and other crops.

The beach community of Ocean City, Md., was taking no chances, ordering thousands of people to leave.

"This is not a time to get out the camera and sit on the beach and take pictures of the waves," said Gov. Martin O'Malley.

In Washington, Irene postponed hopes of dedicating a 30-foot sculpture to the late Martin Luther King Jr. on the National Mall on Sunday. While a direct strike on the nation's capital appeared slim, organizers said the forecasts of wind and heavy rain made it too dangerous to summon a throng they initially expected to number up to 250,000 strong.

New York City

Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers were told Thursday to pack a bag and be prepared to move elsewhere.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered nursing homes and five hospitals in low-lying areas evacuated beginning Friday and said he would order 270,000 other people moved by Saturday if the storm stays on its current path.

"For the general public, it's a good idea to move Friday," Bloomberg said.

Evacuating hundreds of thousands of people would be particularly difficult in New York, where there are about 1.6 million people in Manhattan, many without cars. There are about 6.8 million in the city's other four boroughs.

Bloomberg advised residents on the southern tip of Manhattan and on Brooklyn's Coney Island to start moving items upstairs and to be ready to leave immediately. Apartment building managers emailed residents, telling them to close windows and expect power outages. Flyers were posted in building lobbies.

"If you have a car and you live in a low-lying area, my suggestion is to park on top of a hill, not in the valley," Bloomberg said. "It's those kinds of things. Take some precautions now, so that if it gets to that you'll have less to do."

Forecasters said passing near Manhattan could lead to a nightmare scenario: shattered glass falling from skyscrapers, flooded subways and seawater coursing through the streets.

Even if the winds aren't strong enough to damage buildings in a metropolis made largely of brick, concrete and steel, a lot of New York's subway system and other infrastructure is underground and subject to flooding in the event of an unusually strong storm surge or heavy rains, authorities noted.

New York City's two airports also are close to the water and could be inundated, as could densely packed neighborhoods, if the storm pushes ocean water into the city's waterways, officials said. The city had a brush with a tropical storm, Hanna, in 2008 that dumped 3 inches of rain in Manhattan.

In the last 200 years, New York has seen only a few significant hurricanes. In September of 1821, a hurricane raised tides by 13 feet in an hour and flooded all of Manhattan south of Canal Street, the southernmost tip of the city. The area now includes Wall Street and the World Trade Center memorial.

New Jersey

Aiming to speed up evacuations in coastal May County, Gov. Chris Christie Christie on Friday suspended tolls on all parts of the Garden State Parkway south of the Raritan River and the Atlantic City Expressway.

One of the popular casinos in Atlantic City had already closed Friday, and several others planned to shut down later in the day.

Virginia

Few people were left along the coast of Virginia Beach, where officials ordered the mandatory evacuation of the city's Sandbridge section. Similar orders were issued for Accomack and portions of Norfolk, Hampton and Newport News.

Connecticut

Gov. Daniel P. Malloy declared a state of emergency and warned there could be prolonged power outages if Irene dumps up to a foot of rain on already saturated ground as some fear. He said emergency responders must be ready in event of any evacuations from heavily developed urban areas.

"We are a much more urban state than we were in 1938," he said, referring to the year that the so-called "Long Island Express" hurricane killed 600 people and caused major damage with 17-foot storm surges and high winds.

At Mystic Seaport, a popular "living history" museum that depicts 19th century New England seacoast life, staff members were hauling parts of the collections to higher ground. The museum will be closed on Saturday and Sunday as staffers load up sandbags.

"Our primary responsibility at this time is to protect our collection," said Mystic Seaport president Steve White. "So much of what we have here is irreplaceable and we need some time to make sure it will survive any kind of storm intact."

Boston

While some residents flocked to the supermarket for bottled water and nonperishable food, others rushed to the local hardware store.

"Our number of customers has tripled in the last day or two as people actually said 'wow, this thing is going to happen,'" said Jack Gurnon, owner of Charles Street Supply, a hardware store in Boston's wealthy Beacon Hill neighborhood.

Tape for windows, flashlights and batteries were flying off shelves, but Gurnon said people were worried about flooding and have been scooping up sump pumps, too.

Florida

While avoiding a direct hit, the state did see the first U.S. injuries from Irene when eight people were washed off a jetty in West Palm Beach on Thursday by a large wave churned up by the storm. All survived.


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Sources: AP, CNN, MSNBC, Youtube, Google Maps

Obama Warns Citizens Of Irene's Wrath & Offers FEMA Assistance (Audio Speech)

President Obama: Hurricane Irene Likely 'Historic,' Federal Government Prepared

President Obama today painted a grim picture of the menace posed by Hurricane Irene, warning Americans to "take this storm seriously" as he offered reassurances that his administration has.

"I cannot stress this highly enough: If you are in the projected path of this hurricane, take precautions now," Obama said in an address from Martha's Vineyard.

"The federal government has spent the better part of last week working … to see to it that we're prepared," he added. "All indications point to this being a historic hurricane."

His message and the ongoing mobilization of his administration underscore the lingering lessons from Hurricane Katrina, and an awareness of the impact the monster 2005 storm had on the presidency of George W. Bush.

The Obama administration has pre-deployed federal disaster response teams up and down the East Coast, personally reached out to dozens of state and local leaders, preemptively declared an emergency in North Carolina -- and launched a public relations blitz to let Americans know.

"The federal government is leaning forward, ahead of the storm," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told reporters in Washington, D.C., this morning. "The president has directed us to ensure that all needed resources are available and that we should coordinate closely with our local partners."

Hurricane Preparedness Tips and Resources to Help Keep Your Family Safe

The news conference followed a slew of press releases detailing the administration's efforts, which included calls from Napolitano to seven governors and five mayors, and the early dispatching of FEMA national assistance teams to states in the storm's path.

"You're seeing FEMA ringing their early alarm bells louder and sooner than they did during Katrina," said presidential historian Douglas Brinkley, author of "The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast."

"FEMA is painting a worst-case portrait. They're leaving nothing to chance," Brinkley said. "And that's a lesson learned during Katrina."


With Irene just hours from making its first U.S. landfall on the Carolina coast, Obama paused his family vacation to make his first public remarks on the storm before his scheduled return to Washington tomorrow.

From there, he will likely take a leading role behind the scenes as the storm passes overhead, said Mark Merritt, a former FEMA official who is leading the long-term post-Katrina recovery effort in Louisiana.

"He has got to empower his staff, his cabinet secretaries, to do whatever it takes, especially in the preparedness and response phase. But he also needs to be the nation's cheerleader," Merritt said.

"Most importantly, he has to manage expectations," he added. "This is going to be a catastrophic event, and this is going to be a catastrophic event that's going to stretch over hundreds of miles."

Brinkley said Obama will need to quickly play an even bigger role after the storm.

"The lesson from Katrina would be, as soon as the tail winds die down, go to the disaster zone," he said. "People want to see the president of the United States with his heels on the ground, touching flood waters, offering words of reassurance and bringing the American people along with him."


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Sources: AP, ABC News, Youtube, Google Maps

New York City Vs. Irene! Babylon Blinks & Bows To Historic Storm!

Hurricane models prepare New Yorkers for worst-case storm scenarios

New York City hasn't experienced a big hurricane since 1938 and if some of the current models are accurate the impact could be catastrophic.

A simulation done by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows what a Category 2 hurricane could do to a tunnel linking Brooklyn and Manhattan. Donald Cresitello with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers mapped out some worse-case scenarios.

"If a storm were to occur, it could be catastrophic, given the population density in the Northeast," Cresitello said.

National Hurricane Center computer models and comprehensive studies are chilling. If the worst-case scenarios come true, the impact could be devastating.

Water would be pushed into lower Manhattan, steadily rising. Seawater would pour through the Holland and Brooklyn Battery tunnels.

JFK airport would go under an astounding 20 feet of water. The famous Fulton Ferry boat landing in Brooklyn, a popular spot for young couples to take wedding pictures, could also end up under water. Wall Street could find itself in deep water - about 7 feet. The subway system could also be knocked out.

Coastal geologist Nick Coch, himself a New Yorker, says that a major hurricane could have catastrophic effects.

"Because the most dangerous thing in New York is the New Yorker," he said. "And the New Yorker thinks they've been tested by everything, but very few New Yorkers have been in the eye of a hurricane and know how uncontrollable the energy is."

For years, Coch has been sounding the alarm about how vulnerable New York City is because of its topography. He says storm surges could trigger massive flooding in low-lying areas, particularly lower Manhattan – even if the city is spared a direct hit.

'There's going to be glass all over the street, glass flying through the air," he said.

One study puts economic losses from a Category 3 hurricane at $100 billion.

"Metropolitan areas have high population density and very expensive properties," Jeanne Salvatore of the Insurance Information Institute told CNN. "So you throw a hurricane into that scenario, and the results can be really catastrophic."

There is a plan in place, if necessary, to move 2.3 million people out of coastal zones. But how many will go? Dolores Orr, head of the community board in Rockaway, says that could be a problem.

"For those that were raised here, I hear them today talking that they're not going anywhere," she said. "And that's a concern."

Steve and Debbie O'Sullivan and their three children live in Rockaway Beach in Queens, New York, a tranquil place with a wide and beautiful shoreline. They didn't worry about hurricanes, until Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in 2005.

"We never really understood, you know, the greater impact of it," Steve Sullivan said. "We never had a great fear. We used to play out in them."

The O'Sullivans, whose house sits just one block from the ocean, with the Atlantic on one side and Jamaica Bay on the other, are stocking up on hurricane supplies.

For the O'Sullivans, being prepared just makes sense; even in New York, where hurricanes are as unheard of as the Yankees not making the playoffs.

However, Coch says most New Yorkers need to remember that a Category 3 hurricane made landfall in 1938 on the eastern edge of Long Island in Southampton in 1938. The "Long Island Express" caused widespread damage, even about 70 miles to the west in New York City.

"It made Shinecock Bay a branch of the ocean," he said.

"[It's] the New Yorkers," Coch said. "Because they don't listen. You can always tell a New Yorker, but you can't tell them very much."


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Sources: AP, CNN, Youtube, Google Maps

North Carolina & East Coast Braces For Irene's Powerful Punch! Extreme Flooding Expected!

Irene's flooding 'could be a hundred-year event'

Four governors declared states of emergency Thursday as Hurricane Irene threatened to wreak havoc along the United States' Eastern Seaboard.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley declared emergencies for their states, while North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue declared a state of emergency in counties east of Interstate 95. The emergency declarations allow states to free funds and prepare resources that may be needed.

If Irene continues along its current track, "from a flooding perspective, this could be a hundred-year event," Christie said. He encouraged voluntary evacuations to begin immediately. "Anybody who is on a barrier island should go," he said, adding that on Friday people along the beaches should start thinking about moving to higher ground.

Christie said it was too soon to know whether there will be mandatory evacuations.

In parts of North Carolina, mandatory evacuations were under way Thursday.

The military moved more than two dozen ships out to sea ahead of the storm.

As of 2 p.m. ET, the Category 3 storm was pounding the Bahamas, with its eye over Abaco Island, the National Hurricane Center said.

"The core of the hurricane will continue to move over the northwestern Bahamas today, and pass well offshore of the east coast of central and north Florida tonight and early Friday. The hurricane is forecast to approach the coast of North Carolina on Saturday," the center's advisory said.

Maximum sustained winds were at 115 mph as the storm worked its way northwest.

"I didn't really want to take my chances," said Janeen Wall, who left her vacation spot in Carolina Beach, North Carolina, to make it back to Richmond, Virginia. "Also, if I waited for an evacuation order, I would have to share the road with more than a few thousand other folks trying to leave at the same time."

A mandatory evacuation order was in effect for residents and visitors in Hyde County, North Carolina, which includes Ocracoke Island, reachable only by boat or private plane, on the Outer Banks.

Ocracoke resident Farris O'Neal, 40, told CNN that for the first time he may head for the mainland instead of sticking out the storm. "It's different this time," he said. Since the last big storm, he has gotten married and had two children. "My wife is sick and so's the baby."

Nearby Dare County, which includes Manteo, Nags Head, Duck and historic Kitty Hawk, had an evacuation order for tourists only.

Carteret County also issued a mandatory evacuation order for visitors in part of the county. On Friday, there will be a mandatory evacuation for all residents of Bogue Banks, said county spokesman Rodney Cates.

Ocean City, Maryland, Mayor Richard Meeham announced a mandatory evacuation beginning at midnight, CNN affiliate WUSA reported.



The cone of uncertainty -- the area that could be impacted by Irene depending on what path it follows over the next several days -- includes much of the U.S. northeast. Even if the hurricane does not make landfall, the heavy rains could trigger flooding in some areas.

"The biggest concern is getting people to pay attention and make sure they are ready," Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate said in an interview with CNN. He said residents should have the necessary supplies and an evacuation plan ready.

The National Hurricane Center has said Irene could strengthen to Category 4 status.

The storm could weaken as it works its way up the U.S. East Coast in the coming days. "As it gets closer to the northeast, it will run into the cooler Labrador Current, and that -- along with some more wind shear -- should allow Irene to lose some strength," said HLN meteorologist Bob Van Dillen.

The U.S. Navy is sending 27 ships based in Norfolk, Virginia, out to sea to ride out Irene, a senior Navy official told CNN. An aircraft carrier is among them. Another 28 ships will seek more sheltered areas.

Three submarines were heading out to sea, as well.

CNN's Larry Shaughnessy, on board the USS WASP, could see several warships ahead and others behind as they steadily worked their way out into the Atlantic. There are 1,500 personnel on board the WASP -- 1,000 sailors and 500 Marines. Things were orderly on the ship, Shaughnessy said.

While the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier was heading out, three others in Norfolk were in various states of maintenance and could not safely be put out to sea.

Military officials planned to make a decision Thursday about moving aircraft in the area, as well.

While Florida is not expected to get the worst of Irene, the state was feeling the storm's impact Thursday, said CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras.

"Rough surf, rip currents, and erosion on Atlantic beaches and wind advisories with gusts to 40 mph expected," Jeras tweeted.

In the Bahamas, which was getting the brunt of Irene on Thursday, officials reported power outages, impassable roads, and flooding in some spots.

On the island of Mayaguana, several churches reported damage, including losing parts of their roofs, the National Emergency Management Agency said. Dozens of homes were damaged, as well.

On Crooked Island, a high school's roof was blown off. Part of one church, St. John's Baptist, collapsed.

On Acklins Island, 90% of the settlement Lovely Bay was destroyed, and several homes were blown away, NEMA said.

A police station's roof was blown off on North Cat Island, along with other damage, Bahamas Information Services said.

South Carolina state officials have decided not to order evacuations but urged boaters and swimmers to stay out of the water.

Storm preparations were less intense along the Virginia coastline and the Eastern Shores of Maryland -- the area swamped by Hurricane Isabel in 2003.

One resident was hopeful that Irene would pass close by.

"Dear Irene, please bring rain. Thank you," read a handwritten sign on a mailbox in the Hampton Roads, Virginia, region, where residents are being affected by smoke from a stubborn wildfire that has been burning in historic Dismal Swamp.

"Hurricane Irene may be the only way to get enough rainfall to assist the firefighters and put this relentless fire out," said Penelope Penn.

In Crisfield, Maryland, Ginger Wilson said her family will stay put as Irene approaches this weekend.

"We'll probably have some extra water, get some canned vegetables and foods, and make sure the pantry is full," she told CNN affiliate WBOC-TV. "Just have any extra supplies -- batteries, radios, anything that would be helpful."

The last major hurricane to strike the United States was Wilma in 2005, which was a Category 3 at landfall, Jeras said.

Hurricane Katrina, earlier the same year, was also a Category 3 at landfall. The most recent hurricane to make landfall in the United States was Ike in 2008, which hit near Galveston, Texas, as a Category 2.


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Sources: CNN, Huffington Post, McClatchy Newspapers, WCNC, Youtube, Google Maps

D.C.'s Blizzard Troubles Not Over Yet, Another Storm Brewing

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

East Coast Digs Out From Record-Breaking Snow


Utility crews rumbled along icy roads working to restore power to more than 150,000 customers from Virginia to New Jersey as some airports resumed operations on Thursday, a day after a blizzard smothered the East Coast in record snowfalls.

Many schools systems in the path of the storm remained closed for a second day, including in Baltimore and Philadelphia, although New York City school children headed back to class after only their third snow day in six years.

In Washington, D.C., the federal government was closed for a fourth straight day. The nation's capital joined Philadelphia and Baltimore in logging their snowiest winters in history.

The latest storm dumped nearly 16 inches in Philadelphia, about 20 inches in central New Jersey, and totals ranged from 10 to 16 inches around New York City.

Yue-Chung Siu, 25, got up early to be at work at his family's bagel store in Philadelphia by 5:30 a.m. Thursday. He said his normal 30 minute commute from Bensalem turned into an hour and 45 minutes because of detours and poorly plowed roads.

He recalled the record-breaking blizzard of January 1996.

"I was a little kid, so I had a lot of fun," Siu said. "Now, it's like half-fun, half-hassle."

The storm had halted flights throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, but by Thursday morning flights began to arrive at Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. Both of Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport's two main runways reopened, but officials warned that flight cancellations would continue through the morning because of the storm.

One primary runway was open at Philadelphia International Airport on Thursday morning and a second should open by 9 a.m., said airport spokeswoman Victoria Lupica.

Crews have been working to clear runways and taxiways around the clock and airlines are resuming limited schedules of flights in and out of Philadelphia.

Officials expect the airlines to cancel some scheduled flights but conditions are fine for flying in Philadelphia, Lupica said.

In Philadelphia, road crews worked to clear Interstate 76 and I-676, which closed Wednesday to leave the city of 1.5 million residents with only one usable major artery. Authorities reopened the two routes Thursday morning.

The D.C. Department of Transportation urged motorists to stay off city streets Thursday morning to keep them clear for emergency response, tree and road crews.

Emergency officials in eastern Pennsylvania reported more than 200 vehicles, mostly trucks, were stranded Wednesday along I-78. Officials said gasoline, food and water were delivered to the stranded drivers before plows could clear paths for them by midnight, but the roadway remained closed on Thursday.

In northeast Maryland, staffers at the Harford County Emergency Operations Center fielded several calls per minute from residents struggling to meet the financial demands of a second snowstorm just days after the first. One woman called to say she couldn't afford to stay at her motel another night and was about to be evicted. Homeless shelters were full, forcing the county to pay for motel rooms for some people.

"We really can't have people pushed out into the snow," said Scott Gibson, the county's director of human resources. "The motels are our second line of defense."

Electric crews in New Jersey were working to restore power to about 46,000 homes and businesses that lost electricity. NJ Transit agency resumed bus routes Thursday morning and opened nearly all train stations so residents could try to get to work.

For many families, the first storm was a fun weekend diversion. People even went skiing past Washington's monuments. But Wednesday's blizzard quickly became a serious safety concern. The Pennsylvania governor shut down some highways and warned that people who drove were risking their lives.

As of Wednesday, Baltimore had 72.3 inches so far this winter, the Washington area had 54.9 inches and Philadelphia had 70.3 inches. The previous records for snowiest winters were 62.5 inches in Baltimore in 1995-96; 54.4 inches in Washington in 1898-99; and 65.5 inches in Philadelphia in 1995-96.

More than 100,000 utility customers in Pennsylvania were without power. Some never got it back after the last storm. More than 11,000 customers in Virginia were still in the dark.

But the news wasn't all bad. Washington has not had a homicide in a week. Ski areas were doing brisk business, when people could get to them. And private contractors were making money plowing driveways and parking lots.


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Sources: MSNBC, Google Maps

Worst East Coast Blizzard In Decades! Flights Cancelled

Heavy Snowfall Batters East Coast Again


Heavy snowfall pummeled much of the East Coast on Wednesday, battering states for the second time in a week and forcing many people to stay home from school and jobs.

The snowfall canceled or delayed flights, kept federal workers home for a third day in Washington and taxed local government budgets as municipalities scrambled to pay for snow removal, overtime, salt, supplies and equipment.

Blizzard warnings stretched from New York to the Carolinas on Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.

A warning was issued for metro Washington; Baltimore, Maryland; Newark and Atlantic City, New Jersey; Dover, Delaware; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; New York City; Long Island, New York; and as far south as the southern Appalachian Mountains, including Asheville, North Carolina.

Under a blizzard warning, the following conditions are expected to be seen for three hours or longer: wind speeds of 35 mph or more and considerable falling and/or blowing of snow with visibility near zero (less than ¼ mile), the weather service said.

In Washington, the snow was falling at a rate of 2 inches per hour, said CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras.

Winds intensified in the Washington area, forcing snow plows to park temporarily by the side of the road, Jeras said.

The snowfall is affecting people farther north than last weekend's storm, Jeras said.

And other states are sharing in the travails: Jeras said the weather service reports that 47 states have snow on the ground.

The winter storm barreled in from the Midwest and moved eastward into Washington on Tuesday night and then on toward New York.

This winter is the snowiest on record for several cities or airports, eclipsing records set in the winter of 1995-1996, the weather service said.

Baltimore broke its record of 62.5 inches of snow with a new total of 64.4 inches. Washington's Dulles International Airport shattered its record of 61.9 inches of snowfall with 65.7 inches, and Wilmington, Delaware, has had 59.5 inches of snow, compared with its previous record of 55.9 inches.

And this winter is on pace to become the snowiest season on record in Atlantic City and Philadelphia, the weather service said.

Thousands of flights Wednesday were delayed or canceled to and from airports in Washington, Baltimore, Boston, New York and Philadelphia.

No flights will operate at Reagan Washington National or Dulles on Wednesday, according to the Washington Metropolitan Airports Authority.

Dulles may reopen as early as 6 a.m. ET Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

New York metro area airports were operational Wednesday afternoon, but airlines canceled most flights in and out of the region. Operations will continue for as long as crews can keep the runways clear, said Steve Coleman, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Travelers were asked to check their flight status online before leaving for airports.

Due to improved weather conditions in the Chicago, Illinois, area, airlines were reporting no delays at O'Hare and Midway international airports. However, airlines continued to cancel flights at both airports as the storm moved east and affected airports there.

Newark Liberty International Airport and the New Jersey Turnpike remained open, authorities said.

Amtrak was offering limited service between Boston, New York and Washington. Bus service also has been suspended in parts of the Northeast.

If the snowfall continues as predicted, Philadelphia could break its record of 65.5 inches, set in late winter 1995, forecasters said. It has already received more than 56 inches.

Philadelphia hardware store owner Troy Usnik was taking somewhat of a breather Wednesday. The owner of 10th St. Hardware said he sold well more than 100 shovels and 200 to 300 bags of salt the day before.

"Today seems kind of quiet, but there was a mad rush yesterday. Sales were brisk. Last night was a panic, and everyone who didn't have it came out to buy shovels and salt," he said.

Early Wednesday, the snow turned to sleet in Philadelphia, but roads were passable and buses were driving along emergency routes, Usnik said.

More snow was in the forecast, according to the National Weather Service, which predicted 9 inches to 13 inches.

In New York, CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano said the city had deployed 1,600 salt spreaders to care for 65 miles of roads. It was snowing at midday but tapering off.

In Atlantic City, the snow changed into rain early Wednesday. Despite the storm, the landmark Boardwalk -- with its shops, restaurants and casinos -- remained open.















East Coast Storm Grounds Thousands Of Flights


A blizzard has halted operations at some airports in the Northeast, and thousands of flights have been canceled.

No flights will operate at Reagan Washington National or Dulles International airports on Wednesday, according to the Washington Metropolitan Airports Authority.

Travelers are urged to check with their airlines for flight status updates and rebooking policies.

Crews at the Washington airports continue to work on clearing runways.

"We're working, and we're plowing as best we can and then once the winds diminish some, we'll be able to start hauling snow off the airfield as we've been doing for six days now," said spokeswoman Tara Hamilton.

Traveler Demond Vaughan was supposed to fly from New York to Atlanta, Georgia, Wednesday morning, but his flight was canceled.

"Right now, I'm upset. Our plans were to go to a wedding, a Valentine's wedding. ... If we don't go today, the lady said we won't have another flight until Monday. That's going to be terrible for us," Vaughan said.

New York metro area airports were operational Wednesday afternoon, but airlines canceled most flights in and out of LaGuardia, Newark Liberty International and John F. Kennedy International airports.

Operations will continue for as long as crews can keep the runways clear, said Steve Coleman, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Most airlines canceled Wednesday flights in and out of Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, according to the airport's Web site. Some airlines have canceled flights through Thursday morning.

Delta Air Lines has temporarily ceased flights in and out of Washington, Baltimore, Maryland, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the majority of flights are canceled in and out of New York and Boston, Massachusetts, Delta spokesman Anthony Black said. The airline has canceled 900 Wednesday flights.

United Airlines canceled about 600 Wednesday flights, according to spokeswoman Sarah Massier. More than 1,000 flights on US Airways and its affiliate US Airways Express have been canceled, according to the airline.

Continental Airlines canceled 850 flights Wednesday, including all flights at the airline's Newark hub, according airline spokesperson Macky Osorio.

American Airlines and American Eagle canceled about 500 flights Wednesday, according to spokesman Tim Smith. The airline's operations in the Washington area have been suspended through noon ET Thursday. American's operations in Philadelphia have ground to a halt and are expected to resume Thursday morning.


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Sources: CNN, Google Maps