Irene strengthened into a major hurricane today, continuing on a path expected to swipe the East Coast from the Carolinas to New England. Irene was expected to intensify further as it swept over the Bahamas. The National Hurricane Center warned of an “extremely dangerous storm surge.”
At 10 a.m., Irene was located about 100 miles southeast of Long Islands, Bahamas, and about 295 miles southeast of the capital city, Nassau. With winds near 115 mph, Irene became a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson intensity scale, posing a high risk of injury and death from flying and falling debris. The storm had turned northwest, and it was moving about 12 mph.
According to the NHC’s five-day forecast, Irene was predicted to approach North Carolina’s vulnerable Outer Banks on Saturday as a major hurricane with 125 mph winds, moving up the East Coast before an eventual landfall on Monday near Long Island, N.Y., with winds between 80 mph and 100 mph.
A hurricane warning is in effect for the entire Bahamas. No watches or warnings have been issued for the U.S., which has not been hit by a hurricane since Ike made landfall near Galveston, Texas, in 2008. For more information on Irene, click here for the National Hurricane Center website.
