US East Coast Braces for 'Monster' Hurricane

Irene is a monster hurricane with a diameter of 820 km or about one third of the length of the entire US East Coast. Photo by BGNES

Meteorologists in the US have issued a warning that "monster" hurricane Irene will hit the North Carolina coast Saturday.

Over 2.3 million people on the American East Coast are being evacuated in the eve of the approaching storm, which already brought downpours and strong winds – winds with speeds exceeding 160 km/h have been reported in North and South Carolina.

300 000 people will be evacuated in NY, another 315 000 in MD, 1 million in NJ, 200 000 in VA, 100 000 in DE, and 300 000 in NC.

About 55 to 65 million Americans will be affected by Irene, which had weakened a little and is moving with a speed of 21 km/h.

Meteorologists and NASA experts say Irene is a monster hurricane with a diameter of 820 km or about one third of the length of the entire US East Coast. In addition to rain and damaging winds, the storm can bring 3-4-meter high waves.

Meanwhile, 5 airports in NY will be completely closed for flights beginning at 12 pm local time Saturday. The ban includes the busiest NYC airports – JFK and La Guardia and both local and international flights. 7 000 flights have already been cancelled on the East Coast.

All public transportation, including the NYC subway will be shut down at noon Saturday over safety concerns. The unprecedented move will affect seriously NYC residents since an average 5 million people use the subway each day.

NYC residents are asked to stay inside their homes in the next 24 hours; stay away from windows, and stock on food and water. Irene is expected to reach the city around 2 pm Sunday. As early as Friday, hospitals and adult day cares near the coastal line began evacuating further inside the land area.

The NYC City Hall had already provided 90 shelters that can house over 71 000 people.

Long lines are reported in grocery stores and supermarkets as residents scramble for supplies. Many have left the city. All events scheduled for the weekend have been cancelled along with the official opening of the school year at local colleges and universities. All construction equipment such as cranes has been secured in a large-scale operation.

It is expected that the hurricane will cut oil and electric power supplies further affecting millions of people.

The US Department of Defense is on standby to help in rescue operations and has 225 trucks loaded with food, water and power generators. 18 helicopters are also on standby along with 101 000 servicemen from the National Guard.

Experts say the damage will be felt in weeks and months to come and in the worst case scenario is estimated at USD 11-12 B.

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