A plywood shutter, covering a window of a beachside house, shares a message from a community preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Irene in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, August 26, 2011. Irene, the first hurricane of the season, churned toward the U.S. East Coast. Cities scrambled to prepare, resorts emptied of beach goers, and energy firms like braced for the storm.

Cars drive past a Hurricane Evacuation Route sign in Long Beach on Long Island, New York, August 26, 2011. Hurricane Irene, the first Atlantic hurricane of the season, churned toward the U.S. East Coast Friday as Cities scrambled to prepare, resorts emptied of beach goers, and energy firms braced for the storm.

Beach workers fill sand bags on Long Beach on Long Island, New York, August 26, 2011. Hurricane Irene, the first Atlantic hurricane of the season, churned toward the U.S. East Coast Friday as cities scrambled to prepare, resorts emptied of beach goers, and energy firms braced for the storm.

A front loader piles sand to protect a life guard station on Long Beach on Long Island, New York, August 26, 2011. Hurrican Irene, the first Atlantic hurricane of the season, churned toward the U.S. East Coast Friday as cities scrambled to prepare, resorts emptied of beach goers, and energy firms braced for the storm.

Scott Grafton takes down letters from the marquee of the Morehead Center for Performing Arts as he prepares for the landfall of Hurricane Irene in Morehead City, North Carolina August 26, 2011. The United States urged 55 million people on its eastern seaboard to prepare for Hurricane Irene on Friday as the powerful storm packing high winds and heavy rain bore down on the North Carolina coast.

Rachel Isaac tries to hitch a ride out of the island at Cape Hatteras National Seashore in Rodanthe, North Carolina August 26, 2011, as residents prepare for the landfall of Hurricane Irene. The United States urged 55 million people on its eastern seaboard to prepare for Hurricane Irene on Friday as the powerful storm packing high winds and heavy rain bore down on the North Carolina coast.

A woman walks past an empty battery display at a Home Depot store in Freeport on Long Island, New York August 26, 2011. Hurricane Irene, the first Atlantic hurricane of the season, churned toward the U.S. East Coast Friday as cities scrambled to prepare, resorts emptied of beach goers, and energy firms braced for the storm.

Lowe's employee David Griffin (L) helps to load a generator and bottled water for a customer as residents prepare for the landfall of Hurricane Irene in Morehead City, N.C. Aug. 26, 2011.

Lowe's employees Ronnie Dennis (L) and Sam Collins (R) stock battery-powered lanterns inside the store as residents continue to prepare for the landfall of Hurricane Irene in Morehead City, North Carolina August 26, 2011.

Russell Bauer ties down his trunk after buying a portable generator as he prepares for the expected landfall of Hurricane Irene in Morehead City, North Carolina August 26, 2011.

A shopper passes empty shelves while looking for bottled water at a supermarket in Long Beach on Long Island, New York, August 26, 2011. As North Carolina braced on Friday for a direct hit from Hurricane Irene, cities along the East Coast were on alert and millions of beach goers cut short vacations to escape the powerful storm. With more than 50 million people potentially in Irene's path, residents stocked up on food and water and worked to secure homes, vehicles and boats. States, cities, ports, oil refineries and nuclear plants scrambled to activate emergency plans.

Empty shelves for bottled water at a supermarket are seen ahead of Hurricane Irene in Long Beach on Long Island, New York August 26, 2011. As North Carolina braced on Friday for a direct hit from Hurricane Irene, cities along the East Coast were on alert and millions of beach goers cut short vacations to escape the powerful storm. With more than 50 million people potentially in Irene's path, residents stocked up on food and water and worked to secure homes, vehicles and boats. States, cities, ports, oil refineries and nuclear plants scrambled to activate emergency plans.

Officials at the American Red Cross in Greater New York Emergency Operations Center discuss their preparations for the landfall of Hurricane Irene in New York August 25, 2011.

Emergency Services Officer Luis Avila (R) at the American Red Cross in Greater New York Emergency Operations Center discusses plans for the landfall of Hurricane Irene in New York August 25, 2011.

Lee Rogers boards up the windows of his friend's house at Cape Hatteras National Seashore in Salvo, North Carolina on August 25, 2011, in preparation for Hurricane Irene's approach. Irene, a major Category 3 hurricane, battered the low-lying Bahamas southeast of Florida on Thursday and was expected to sweep northward to hit the North Carolina coast on Saturday, before raking the remaining Atlantic seaboard.

Jesus Villeda boards up a beach house in Holden Beach, North Carolina August 25, 2011. Villeda was helping Fayetteville resident Gene Ammons protect his beach home on the island for the incoming winds from Hurricane Irene.

Shop workers Heather Smith (L) and Danielle Batchelor write on the shop's boards at Cape Hatteras National Seashore in Frisco, North Carolina August 25, 2011, in preparation as Hurricane Irene approaches.

Jeremy Pickett and Thad Midgett boards the windows of a restaurant in Cape Hatteras North Carolina August 25, 2011, in preparation as hurricane Irene approaches.

Customers arrive at a store at Cape Hatteras National Seashore in Frisco, North Carolina August 25, 2011, in preparation as hurricane Irene approaches.

Scott Thomas holds a plywood shutter in position while his brother Brynn Thomas (R) secures it to a window of their beachside home as they prepare for Hurricane Irene in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, August 25, 2011.

Shop owner Michelle Palazzolo steps off her shop at Cape Hatteras National Seashore in Avon, North Carolina August 25, 2011, as hurricane Irene approaches.

This NASA satellite image, released to Reuters August 25, 2011, shows Hurricane Irene (center left) moving through the Bahamas on August 25, 2011 at 10:02 a.m. EDT. Hurricane Irene bore down on North Carolina on Friday, tens of thousands of people evacuated and East Coast cities including New York braced for a weekend hit from the powerful storm.