HURRICANE

North Hempstead adds new areas on Port Washington peninsula to must-leave zones

Live Weather Channel coverage of Hurricane Irene 2011 was disrupted by a live streaker when reporter Eric Fisher was giving a report from stormy Virginia Beach. As rain and wind pelted down, streakers ran by in the background nude.

He has already long suggested that Americans stockpile food ahead of an inevitable global disruption in food.

The death toll for Hurricane Irene has risen to five with a child in Virginia who was struck by a falling tree. The other four deaths were in North Carolina.

Hurricane Irene 2011 is on a path to become the East Coast storm of a lifetime, claiming lives, pouring destruction, and shutting down New York, America's largest city, move before the storm even arrives. Irene has already claimed three lives in North Carolina and winds of 90 miles per hour and torrential rainfall is inflicting heavy damage.

Roger Pielke, a University of Colorado professor and fellow of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, warned that Irene is “probably going to be very damaging.”

At least three people have been killed in North Carolina by Category-1 hurricane Irene, which has also knocked out power to more than 227,000 homes and businesses, suffering from 85 mph winds.

New Jersey governor Chris Christie announced one million people have been evacuated ahead of Hurricane Irene, but still worried about residents staying behind -- specifically in Atlantic City.

The Great Neck peninsula is ready for Irene, a park commissioner said in its sealed marina

The high cost of a hurricane: as Hurricane Irene whirls northward, bringing a wave of evacuations and prompting frantic runs on grocery stores, insurance companies and business owners are bracing for the costs that could number in the billions of dollars.

Just hours after making landfall in North Carolina, with a path projected up the U.S. East Coast ravaging through high-population areas including New York, Hurricane Irene 2011 holds the potential for being one of the costliest storms ever. Already New York is in an unprecedented shutdown in anticipation of the storm, and while economic loss for business closings ahead of a storm isn't used as a formal hurricane damage calculation the impact is indicative of what's to come from Irene

Slowly following its chartered course up the East Coast, Hurricane Irene has already claimed its first lives: A North Carolina man killed outside his home by a tree limb that blew down this morning and another who reportedly died of a heart attack, ABC News reported.

Maine residents, who are used to severe storms, are nevertheless in no way underestimating the power of Hurricane Irene, which packs damaging winds and torrential rain. However, if Saturday's forecast holds, Irene will enter Maine Sunday downgraded to a tropical storm.

State officials may also open up shelters in Newark for more evacuees.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said the military is standing by, preparing to offer aid in response to Hurricane Irene, with roughly 101,000 National Guard forces available to governors of East Coast states, if needed.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg says a downtown power shut-off is likely in advance of a Hurricane Irene strike.

You can't prepare for the best case, you have to prepare for the worst case, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg tweeted Saturday morning, as NYC faces its first ever evacuation order due to the upcoming threat of Hurricane Irene.

Connecticut officials and residents scrambled Saturday to get residents of low-lying / flood prone areas out of harm’s away, as Hurricane Irene, a Category 1 storm packing 75 mile per hour winds and heavy rain. The outer bands of rain from Irene are expected to reach Connecticut by Saturday at 6 p.m. EDT.

The path that Hurricane Irene, the first hurricane of the season, chose to take has caused the first-ever New York City shutdown. America's largest subway system and about five flights in the NYC area shut down around noon on Saturday, as Irene continues to churn near the East Coast.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is urging city residents to heed warnings of evacuation. He said Irene poses a serious threat to the city.

Hurricane season for the western Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico runs from June 1 through November 30