MUSIC BY: MAJEED ENTEZAMI
Aug. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Hurricane Irene is forecast to strike deeper into North Carolina before making landfalls on the Delmarva Peninsula and New Jersey. Governors from North Carolina to Connecticut issued emergency declarations.
Irene is churning north packing maximum sustained winds of 115 miles (185 kilometers) per hour, a Category 3 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, the National Hurricane Center said in a 2 a.m. Miami time advisory. Earlier estimates had Irene growing to Category 4 with winds of up to 155 mph.
The hurricane center said its confidence in the track forecast is increasing.
"The new track guidance has been nudged westward," according to an agency analysis. "Since Irene is a large tropical cyclone, one should not focus on the exact track of Irene as significant impacts will be felt well away from the center."
More than 65 million people, or about one in five Americans, from North Carolina to Maine, are in the way of the hurricane, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Gas Trades Higher
Gasoline traded the highest in more than three weeks on speculation that Irene may disrupt East Coast refinery production and fuel distribution. Futures rose 3.1 percent to $2.9679 a gallon yesterday, and were little changed today at $2.9675 at 8:47 a.m. London time on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Officials in Virginia Beach and Norfolk have ordered mandatory evacuations, according to the Associated Press.
Governors Andrew Cuomo of New York, Chris Christie of New Jersey, Martin O'Malley of Maryland, Dannel Malloy of Connecticut and Bob McDonnell of Virginia declared emergencies yesterday. Christie said people should leave the shore by midday today. North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue declared a state of emergency for counties east of Interstate 95.
President Barack Obama approved an emergency declaration for North Carolina, making the state eligible for federal disaster aid.
Storm Heads North
In Delaware, Governor Jack Markell told potential visitors to stay away from his state this weekend. Amtrak canceled most train services south of Washington starting today through Aug. 28, according to a statement.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said a decision on evacuations would be made by 8 a.m. tomorrow for residents in areas including Coney Island, Battery Park City and parts of Staten Island. The mayor is founder and majority owner of Bloomberg News parent Bloomberg LP.
Irene is 460 miles south-southwest of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and moving north at 14 mph, the hurricane center said.
The storm is aiming "its fury toward the North Carolina coast," according to an earlier statement. "Irene will continue to move away from the northwestern Bahamas and the core of the hurricane will pass well offshore of the east coast of central and northern Florida today," the NHC said in its latest advisory. The storm is forecast to approach North Carolina's coast tomorrow.
A hurricane warning is in effect for the Grand Bahama and Abaco Islands and the coast of North Carolina from Little River Inlet to the Virginia border. A hurricane watch has been issued from that point to Sandy Hook, New Jersey, the center said.
Insured Losses
Irene may cause $13.9 billion in insured losses and $20 billion in overall economic losses due to lost hours at work, power outages, and interruption of shipping and airline traffic, according to estimates by Kinetic Analysis Corp.
Small fluctuations in the track could mean much greater damage to New York City from storm surge, said Eric Wilhelm, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather Inc. in State College, Pennsylvania.
The track ultimately depends on a weather front moving into the Northeast from the west as Irene approaches from the south, DeGaetano said.
"When they interact with a frontal system, that provides the boundary they travel on," said DeGaetano, who is also director of the Northeast Regional Climate Center at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "It will be riding up along the front."
Track Variability
The track will also determine how much the storm affects Boston and eastern New England, he said. If it moves up the Connecticut River, Boston will be affected. If it travels farther west, then Boston may be spared the brunt of the winds.
Irene is paralleling the path of Hurricane Gloria, which killed 11 people after making landfall in New York's Long Island in 1985.
The last hurricane to strike the U.S. was Ike in 2008, a Category 2 storm when it went ashore near Galveston, Texas. The most recent major hurricane, one with winds of at least 111 mph, was Wilma in 2005.
Loading...
1:10
Hurricane Irene Storm Surge in Atlantic Beach.by WeatherWarriordotnet7,558 views
Go Hurricane go ! do as much DPS make the dumb yanks believe in Global warming ! Maybe they will re-look at their Gas emission policies ! !!! Surves US right !
SpetsnazSS 5 months ago
Hurricanes make me feel sexy in penis and horny in asshole as well.
danobsboyfriend 5 months ago
@dats21loves What are you stoopid! lololololol. Stop crying about relegion on the internet. theres been hundreds of huricanes before. there will be hundreds more. Derp.
SomeWhatIf 6 months ago
uh, the end is coming? Theists never fail to amuse.
northwestvoodoo 6 months ago
all people should convert to which is truly faith no one but islam religion for those who want for heaven cos in the holy qur'an the end of the world is near enough and the signs are all happening today....
dats21loves 6 months ago
my god....wish all my family in vergia will safe.....we love you guys
dats21loves 6 months ago
It's been downgraded to a number 1. The eastern seaboard will not cease to be as we know it.
committeesq 6 months ago
Surfs Up man, Get out their...
sprayprayanddie 6 months ago
Gie us a break with this GAY ASS storm
Johntpartee 6 months ago
At his moment the rebels are causing their long planned bloodbath on Libyan people !
Humanitarians muzzled their media to keep this hidden for their own people !
This time no protest from the humanitarians who made this genocide possible !
No taking up their responsibilities to put troops on the ground in order to stop the genocide for they are too afraid the rebels will turn their arms upon humanitarians troops !
Humanitarians keep kissing the rebels ass, no matter what !
Viva Ghaddafi !
Quierotortilla 6 months ago