Hurricane Irene News Update II

Hurricane Irene News Update II:

Live Blogs: CNN, NYT, WaPo, Breaking News.

Above: Hurricane Irene as captured by NASA’s Aqua satellite at 2:05 PM EDT today.

Predictions: Hurricane warnings issued for NYC, coastal Connecticut and Rhode Island, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket; Weather Underground: Further intensification of Irene unlikely; National Hurricane Center forecast confirms this assessment; storm surge simulation predicts severe flooding in parts of New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut; What to expect over the next few hours, days.

Responses: Red Cross mobilizing equipment and volunteers, opening shelters ahead of storm; state of emergency declared in DC; President Obama declares emergency for New York; Mandatory evacuations in effect for low-lying areas of NYC, public transportation shuts off noon tomorrow; Delta joins JetBlue in canceling hundreds of flights, JFK set to close tomorrow at noon; interactive map of evacuation zones with address locator; all Broadway performances cancelled for 8/27-28.

Reactions: Mayor’s Office: “We’ve never done a mandatory evacuation before…we wouldn’t be doing this now if we didn’t think this was serious“; New Jersey governor Chris Christie to residents: “Get the hell off the beach in Asbury Park…You maximized your tan“; President Obama cuts vacation short due to storm.

Tips: How to stay connected during Hurricane Irene; A no-nonsense hurricane guide for New Yorkers by an ex-Floridian; listen to first responders along the storm’s path (via); see previous round-up for more.

Misc: How do forecasters determine the “Cone of Uncertainty“?; where do hurricane names come from?; Hurricane Irene Bingo.

Below: From tropical wave to Cat 3 hurricane: Irene’s movement since August 19th as captured by the NOAA GOES-East satellite.