All eyes are nervously watching Hurricane Irene as she lashes the Bahamas with Category 3 strength (sustained winds 111-130 mph). Forecasts strengthen the storm over the next 12 to 24 hours and Irene could attain Category 4 strength (sustained winds 131-155 mph) as she chugs along a northward track. Residents and business owners along the North Carolina coast, including the Outer Banks where Irene may make landfall on Saturday, are bracing for the storm, shuttering windows and evacuating to higher ground. Current tracks take Irene along a generally north-northeasterly path, putting the Mid-Atlantic Coast at a real risk of severe impacts from this storm. After riding up the New Jersey coastline Sunday, possibly still as a Category 1 storm (sustained winds 74-95 mph), the storm is anticipated to move onshore near New York City and Connecticut Sunday evening and then rumble on northward, decreasing in strength.
Major cities along the I-95 corridor from Philadelphia to Boston, should take action now in anticipation of Irene. Recent heavy rainfall over much of the Northeast, including today’s soaking rain, have left grounds saturated and prone to flooding. Irene could dump upwards of 5 inches of rain anywhere from just west of the I-95 corridor from Philadelphia to Boston and to the coastal regions. This very heavy rainfall combined with soggy grounds will cause widespread flooding resulting in damage and travel disruptions. Tropical Storm-force winds will have a vast reach with Irene and could extend to just west of the I-95 corridor. Expect downed trees and power lines to cut power to thousands and cause travel hazards. Along the immediate coastline, storm surge and heavy rain will cause coastal flooding, leaving many areas underwater and unreachable, and tropical storm-force to hurricane-force winds will cause damage. The storm will exit the Northeast on Monday, followed by much more settled weather.
Impacts: Retailers up and down the East Coast from North Carolina to Maine will experience elevated store traffic ahead of the storm as residents stock up on emergency supplies and food. Tarps, plastic sheeting, plywood, flashlights, batteries, first aid kits, and bottled water will be some of the big sellers, especially the closer the store is situated to the coast. The impacts from Irene will be similar to that of a major Nor’Easter, but the difference will be in the length of time it takes to recover and clean-up the damage. Expect store traffic to be disrupted during the storm and at least a day or two beyond. Power outages will also affect operations along the East Coast. New York City stands the risk of massive flooding which could disrupt business operations into Monday, possibly even Tuesday as Subways and Tunnel systems potentially flood.
A change in the storm track even by as much as 50 miles east or west would dramatically change the outcome from this storm.