Hurricane Irene: NY

From USA Today:
"Hurricane Irene risk forces first-ever NYC shutdown"

The city's transit system began shutting down Saturday ahead of Hurricane Irene, the first shutdown brought on by a natural disaster. Final scheduled runs on all subway and bus lines started at noon, and it would take about eight hours before the system would be shuttered, city officials said. The systems can't operate in sustained winds higher than 39 mph and shutting down is a precaution, the transit authority said. Arriving flights at the five main New York City-area airports also were halting Saturday as Irene began spinning its way up the Eastern Seaboard, forcing more than 300,000 evacuations and dimming lights at Citi Field and on Broadway. Residents braced for harsh winds, drenching rains and travel woes as Hurricane Irene barreled closer to the city. The storm slammed into North Carolina at Cape Lookout in the Outer Banks Saturday morning. As rain started falling on him at Coney Island, Mayor Michael Bloomberg urged residents who needed to leave to get out - right away.

More than 300,000 residents have been ordered to leave waterfront neighborhoods and the city was poised to shut down its vast transit system, two unprecedented precautionary steps forced by the size and energy of Irene. The brunt of the storm is forecast to arrive Sunday. Many New Yorkers appeared to have heeded the warnings about the approaching storm. Bridges and streets were nearly empty, with few people walking or driving. Aviation officials said they would close the five main New York City-area airports to arriving domestic and international flights beginning at noon on Saturday. Many departures also were canceled. Irene will likely be a Category 1 hurricane when it reaches the city but it will bring high winds and 8 to 12 inches of rain, Bloomberg said.

^ Irene is supposed to hit NYC tonight and tomorrow. Hopefully, it won't make NYC look like all the diaster movies do. ^

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-08-26/Hurricane-Irene-risk-forces-first-ever-NYC-shutdown/50149524/1