Hurricane Irene, the first tropical cyclone of the Atlantic Hurricane Season 2011, is predicted to reach Category 4 with maximum sustained winds of 131-155 miles per hour as it strikes eastern North Carolina on Saturday, while a Category 1 storm with a wind speed of 90 miles per hour is expected to hit New York on Sunday.

As a major Category 3 hurricane, Irene battered the low-lying Bahamas southeast of Florida on Thursday and was expected to sweep northward to hit the North Carolina coast on August 27, before raking the remaining Atlantic seaboard.

While officials at the American Red Cross in Greater New York Emergency Operations Center are in discussion over their preparations for the landfall of Hurricane Irene in New York, hurricane and tropical storm watches are in effect for much of the Carolina coastline.

Officials urged on Thursday the entire eastern seaboard to prepare for bracing Irene. Residents near the Atlantic Beach and other seaside areas in North Carolina were seen protecting their houses in preparation, Reuters reports.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) suggests Hurricane preparedness for preventing damage to life and property from Irene.

NHC recommends to secure homes and buildings ahead of a hurricane warning. People preparing for Irene in North Carolina’s coastal area were seen fixing up plywood shutters on the windows of their beachside homes and restaurants.

NHC also suggests storing drinking water, food to last for at least 3 to 7 days, besides other necessary items including First-Aid kits, flashlights, clothing, rain gears, and blankets and so on.

Visit the National Hurricane Center's website for detailed instructions on how to prepare for Hurricane Irene. A few pictures below show people in North Carolina doing their bit.

Hurricane Irene Heads For U.S. Northeast
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. RUTERS/Jose Luis Magaua
Hurricane Irene Heads For U.S. Northeast
Timothy Bowen, Romino Escobar and Scott Bircher (L-R) lift plywood shutters to the top deck of a beachside home as they prepare for Hurricane Irene in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, August 25, 2011. REUTERS/Steve Nesius
Hurricane Irene Heads For U.S. Northeast
Shop owner Michelle Palazzolo steps off her shop at Cape Hatteras National Seashore in Avon, North Carolina August 25, 2011, as hurricane Irene approaches. REUTERS/Jose Luis Magaua
Hurricane Irene Heads For U.S. Northeast
Customers arrive at a store at Cape Hatteras National Seashore in Frisco, North Carolina August 25, 2011, in preparation as hurricane Irene approaches. REUTERS/Jose Luis Magaua
Hurricane Irene Heads For U.S. Northeast
Karlie Philips writes on the boards of her boarded home as her daughter Kylie looks on, at Cape Hatteras National Seashore in Salvo, North Carolina August 25, 2011, as hurricane Irene approaches. REUTERS/Jose Luis Magaua
Hurricane Irene Heads For U.S. Northeast
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. REUTERS/Jose Luis Magaua
Hurricane Irene Heads For U.S. Northeast
Doug Gray positions a sheet of plywood over a sliding glass door as he boards up a house in preparation for Hurricane Irene in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, August 25, 2011. REUTERS/Steve Nesius
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