Hurricane Irene 11pm update: Conditions are deteriorating across the Island

Filed under: News,Weather |

 

Click Here for Hurricane Irene Radar Loop

As of 11PM the center of Irene was about 255 miles south southwest of New York City and moving north northeast at 16 mph.  The maximum sustained winds are 80 mph with higher gusts.  Irene is a large Hurricane with Hurricane force winds extending 85 miles from the center of circulation.  Tropical Storm force winds extend outwards 290 miles from the center.  Bands of moderate to heavy rains are pushing through the Huntington area with increasing east southeast winds, thunder and lightning.  The conditions will continue to deteriorate for the rest of the overnight.  A Tornado watch is also in effect until 5am as tornadoes are sometimes spawned by landfalling Hurricanes.  Tornadoes have already been reported in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.

Are you prepared if you lose electricity, have you put your garden furniture away? Have you secured loose items in your yard? Do you have a battery operated radio? Do not rely on cellphones or the internet during and after a storm. These and other things are covered in the following documents:

  • NOAA and FEMA have prepared a document that lists things you should know about hurricanes and things you should have in case of this kind of emergency. Click here for this document.
  • The Town of Huntington’s Hurricane Preparedness Handbook please click here.
Suffolk County Office of Emergency Management has released the following information:

 

When and/or where is the storm going to hit Suffolk County ?

At this time it is too early to tell precisely where or when the storm will strike Suffolk County . We can expect rain and increasingly strong winds to precede the actual landfall. You should monitor changing weather conditions on your radio, television or the National Weather Service – NOAA website at: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/

How bad is it going to be?

At this time it is too early to predict the severity of the storm. At a minimum we can expect rain and wind. Please monitor changing conditions on your radio, television or the National Weather Service – NOAA website at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/

 Should I stay in my home or evacuate?

Any orders or recommendations to evacuate will be issued by the County prior to the arrival of the storm. Please monitor your radio and television for announcements.

Where should I go?

If you are concerned about staying in your present location because of the storm, we recommend that you proceed to higher ground – typically towards the spine of Long Island which is roughly along the LI Expressway corridor.

What Shelters are open?

At the present time there are no Shelters open to accommodate people leaving their residences. In the event conditions require that Shelters do open, the names and locations will be identified on the Suffolk County Website at http://www.suffolkcountyny.gov/

What can I do to prepare?

Instructions to prepare for storms and hurricanes can be found on the Suffolk County Website at http://www.suffolkcountyny.gov/ . There are links in this website to additional sources of information from a variety of agencies.

What about my pets?

Should conditions dictate, there are Pet Friendly Shelters in the County which may open to accommodate your needs. However space in these shelters is extremely limited so pet owners should make their own plans to care for their pets. Please monitor your radio, television and the Suffolk County Website at http://www.suffolkcountyny.gov/ for details.

I have special needs – what do I do?

If you feel that a disability may prevent you, or a person under your care, from evacuating to a regular shelter, contact 631-852-4900 and enroll in the J.E.E.P. Special Needs Registry before the storm hits. If you have a true emergency please call 911.

Am I in an area that will be flooded?

The Suffolk County Website has an interactive map which shows the storm surge zones for different category hurricanes. This map can be used as a guide to determine if a particular address is located in an area which may flood. The map is at http://www.suffolkcountyny.gov/

Please click here for the National Weather Service page for this storm.

Here is the projected tropical storm force wind speed probability outlook for the Atlantic Coast for the next five days:

 

 

Here is the projected Hurricane storm force wind speed probability outlook for the Atlantic Coast for the next five days:

 

 Hurricane Storm Surge Zones of North Shore added 9:19pm

Storm Surge

Hurricane Storm Surge Zones

 

 

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