Hurricane Irene claimed its first victims today as it it unleashed its power on North Carolina and Virginia before roaring up the East Coast towards Washington D.C. and New York. NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg told people ‘the time to leave is right now’ as the city prepared to go into an unprecedented lockdown. More details after the jump!!
New York City is bracing for the brutal power of Hurricane Irene after a night of destruction saw parts of the East Coast lashed with ferocious 115mph wind gusts and damage which has led to an unprecedented lockdown as the storm roars its way northwards.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg warned residents this morning the clock is ticking on time to evacuate as the slow-moving storm that battered the coast of North Carolina early Saturday, claiming at least three lives and threatening 20 percent of the U.S. population.
The nation’s largest subway system and arriving flights at the five main New York City-area airports were halted at noon on Saturday as Hurricane Irene spun its way up the Eastern Seaboard, forcing more than 370,000 evacuations and dimming lights at Citi Field and on Broadway.
Although Irene’s strength waned last night and was downgraded to a category 1 hurricane, experts warned that it could still wreak havoc when it hits New York because of storm surges pushing seawater ashore and heavy rainfall causing flooding. The storm is projected to hit New York on Sunday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center.
