… DANGEROUS HURRICANE IRENE TO IMPACT THE REGION SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY NIGHT…

.NEW INFORMATION… A HURRICANE WATCH AND A TROPICAL STORM WATCH HAVE NOW BEEN ISSUED.

.AREAS AFFECTED… THIS LOCAL STATEMENT PROVIDES IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND RECOMMENDED ACTIONS FOR PEOPLE AND MARINE INTERESTS IN SELECT LOCATIONS AND COASTAL WATER LEGS OF SOUTHEASTERN NEW YORK… NORTHEASTERN NEW JERSEY… SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS.

.WATCHES/WARNINGS… A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS… NORTHERN FAIRFIELD… NORTHERN NEW HAVEN… NORTHERN MIDDLESEX… NORTHERN NEW LONDON… SOUTHERN FAIRFIELD… SOUTHERN NEW HAVEN… SOUTHERN MIDDLESEX… SOUTHERN NEW LONDON… EASTERN PASSAIC… HUDSON… WESTERN BERGEN… EASTERN BERGEN… WESTERN ESSEX… EASTERN ESSEX… WESTERN UNION… EASTERN UNION… PUTNAM… ROCKLAND… NORTHERN WESTCHESTER… SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER… NEW YORK (MANHATTAN)… BRONX… RICHMOND (STATEN ISLAND)… KINGS (BROOKLYN)… NORTHWESTERN SUFFOLK… NORTHEASTERN SUFFOLK… SOUTHWESTERN SUFFOLK… SOUTHEASTERN SUFFOLK… NORTHERN QUEENS… NORTHERN NASSAU… SOUTHERN QUEENS AND SOUTHERN NASSAU.

FOR MARINE INTERESTS… A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF LONG ISLAND AND CONNECTICUT COASTAL WATERS AND NEW YORK HARBOR.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS… WESTERN PASSAIC… ORANGE.

A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE NEXT 48 HOURS SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE SPECIFIED AREAS.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE NEXT 48 HOURS SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE SPECIFIED AREAS.

ALL PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREAS SHOULD REVIEW THEIR PREPAREDNESS PLAN AND BE READY TO IMPLEMENT IT SHOULD A WARNING BE ISSUED FOR THEIR AREA.

IN ORDER TO MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS… BE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE TERMINOLOGY AND DEFINITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL CYCLONE EVENTS.

A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHEASTERN NEW YORK… NORTHEASTERN NEW JERSEY AND SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT. PLEASE LISTEN CLOSELY FOR ANY FLOOD WARNINGS THAT MIGHT BE IN EFFECT FOR YOUR AREA.

PLEASE CHECK THE LATEST PUBLIC AND MARINE FORECASTS FOR DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT ADDITIONAL HAZARDS.

.STORM INFORMATION… AT 5 AM EDT… THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IRENE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 29.3N… LONGITUDE 77.2W. THIS WAS ABOUT 810 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF NEW YORK CITY NY… OR ABOUT 860 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF MONTAUK POINT NY. STORM MOTION WAS N OR 360 DEGREES AT 14 MPH. STORM INTENSITY WAS 110 MPH.

.SITUATION OVERVIEW… A HURRICANE WATCH AND A TROPICAL STORM WATCH HAVE NOW BEEN ISSUED. A MORE DETAILED STATEMENT WILL FOLLOW SHORTLY.

.PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

FOR THOSE UNDER A WATCH OR WARNING… NOW IS THE TIME TO INITIATE PREPARATIONS ACCORDING TO YOUR HURRICANE DISASTER PLAN SPECIFIC TO YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.

FOR THOSE NEARBY… REVIEW YOUR HURRICANE DISASTER PLAN AND BECOME READY TO ACT IF A WATCH OR A WARNING IS LATER ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO ACTIVELY LISTEN FOR FORTHCOMING INFORMATION FROM YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY.

MARINERS ARE URGED TO MAKE ALL NECESSARY PREPARATIONS TO RETURN TO PORT… SEEK SAFE HARBOR… AND SECURE THEIR CRAFT. NOW IS THE TIME TO INITIATE PREPARATIONS ACCORDING TO YOUR EMERGENCY PLAN FOR TROPICAL SYSTEMS. MONITOR WEATHER BROADCASTS FOR CHANGES TO THE LATEST FORECAST AND LISTEN FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS FROM LOCAL OFFICIALS.

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.NEXT UPDATE… THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN UPTON SHORTLY. IT WILL PROVIDE IMPORTANT DETAILS REGARDING THE EVOLVING TROPICAL CYCLONE THREATS AND THEIR POTENTIAL IMPACTS UPON THE AREA.