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Hurricane Irene set to hit New York by Monday; evacuations eyed; NY, NJ declare state of emergency

BY JONATHAN LEMIRE, JENNIFER H. CUNNINGHAM AND CHRISTINA BOYLE
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Originally Published:Thursday, August 25th 2011, 11:06 AM
Updated: Thursday, August 25th 2011, 6:26 PM

Lynne Sladky/AP

Hurricane Irene is pounding the Bahamas and is slated to hit the New York area in days.

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Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers living in coastal areas are being warned to prepare to evacuate if Hurricane Irene delivers a street-swamping blow to the five boroughs this weekend.

Mayor Bloomberg said Thursday city officials are closely eying the progression of the Category 3 storm as it batters the Bahamas and prepares to steam up the U.S. Eastern seaboard.

The city is readying plans for a worst-case scenario, including dispatching a fleet of boats to police precincts in low-lying areas that could experience severe flooding, leaving residents trapped.

"We hope for the best but prepare for the worst," Hizzoner said, noting the city has already experienced Mother Nature's fury once this week with Monday's earthquake.

Gov. Cuomo declared a state of emergency Thursday, "activating all levels of state government to prepare for any situation that may be caused by Hurricane Irene."

The governors of North Carolina, Virginia and New Jersey also declared states of emergency.

Irene is expected to first smack into the U.S. in North Carolina on Saturday.

The National Weather Service's latest forecast had the slow-moving but massive storm hitting the city Sunday afternoon, coming ashore as a Category 1 somewhere around the Queens and Nassau County border.

Meteorologist Joe Pollina of the National Weather Service told the Daily News Irene will be packing winds of 90 mph and could dump over foot of rain on the region.

But forecasts vary.

National Hurricane Center Director Bill Read told the Associated Press Thursday that the hurricane could be a Category 2 storm when it reaches New York and that the worst of the it would likely arrive in Gotham on Monday.

A Category 2 hurricane is below the threshold for a major storm, but still churns up dangerous winds between 96 and 110 miles-per-hour.

Even if the city doesn't take it on the teeth, heavy rains and winds will still wreak havoc.

"Being a large hurricane, tropical storm-force winds will extend far inland," Read told The Associated Press.

City officials drew up evacuation contingency plans for areas of the city most prone to flooding, such as Coney Island and Manhattan Beach in Brooklyn, and the Rockaways in Queens.

South Beach and other coastal areas in Staten Island, as well as Battery Park City in Manhattan, could also be at risk.

Bloomberg said any decision to evacuate residents would not take place until Friday night and would likely be a recommendation, rather than an across-the-board order.

A total of 270,000 people could be affected, he added.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/08/25/2011-08-25_hurricane_irene_set_to_hit_new_york_this_weekend_city_preparing_for_the_worst_sa.html#ixzz1W9Yminzv