NEXT UPDATE… THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN UPTON AROUND 930 PM EDT…OR SOONER IF CONDITIONS WARRANT. 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-SOUTHERN NASSAU- 708 PM EDT FRI AUG 26 2011 …HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT… …PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… MAKE THE FINAL PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. RUSH TO COMPLETION THE HARDENING OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS BY CLOSING SHUTTERS AND BRACING GARAGE DOORS. IF EVACUATING…LEAVE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. GUARD AGAINST BEING STUCK OUT ON ROADWAYS WHEN DANGEROUS WINDS AND HEAVY RAINS ARRIVE. AGAIN…DO NOT STAY IN A MOBILE OR MANUFACTURED HOME. REMEMBER…PETS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN MOST OFFICIAL SHELTERS…SO CHECK AHEAD WITH YOUR INTENDED SHELTER. IF STAYING IN A HOME…TURN THE REFRIGERATOR TO MAXIMUM COLD AND KEEP IT CLOSED. TURN OFF PROPANE TANKS AND UNPLUG SMALL APPLIANCES. FILL THE BATHTUB WITH WATER IN CASE THE TAP WATER BECOMES UNAVAILABLE AFTER THE STORM. THIS IS FOR CLEANING AND FLUSHING PURPOSES. DO NOT DRINK IT.

via Hurricane Warning.

Source: The Norwalk Hour
http://www.thehour.com/story/510271

NORWALK — Hurricane Irene will bring large amounts of rain, sustained winds for a very long period of time, and the prospect of the Merritt and Wilbur Cross parkways being closed to traffic starting at midnight Saturday, according to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.

At noon Friday, Malloy outlined preparations being made in advance of Irene’s anticipated arrival in Connecticut late Saturday.

“What we are anticipating is tremendous tree damage and wind damage, and I would also warn you that we are also anticipating, based on current conditions, is the large-scale loss of electricity across the state and not just for a few hours, days and weeks,” said Malloy in a press conference at noon to address the approaching storm. “Of course, we are prepared to move populations should that be necessary.”

On Thursday, Malloy signed a Declaration of Emergency Order, authorizing him to order evacuations as needed to protect residents from the storm.

While no evacuations have been ordered yet in Connecticut, Malloy urged residents to use the time between now and midnight Saturday to prepare for Irene, and for those who live in low-lying areas that have flooded before to take extra precautions and get out if necessary.

“We are absolutely, 100 percent urging any citizen who has ever experienced flooding, in any part of the state previously, to take the steps necessary to vacate those circumstances by 12 o’clock midnight Saturday night,” Malloy said. “And that may move to an earlier hour if this storm moves more quickly.”

According to Malloy, there is a likelihood that the Merritt Parkway and Wilbur Cross Parkway will be closed Saturday at midnight due to the threat posed by the storm winds to the many trees along both roadways.

Malloy said that while the Irene’s winds have dropped slightly — to about 110 mph on Friday morning — the barometric pressure at the center of the storm is also dropping, leaving the possibility of the hurricane “recovering higher category status within an hour.”

The governor said officials are preparing for surges in the four to five-foot range.

… 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.

&&

.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.