Hurricane Irene storm tracker. Hurricane Irene is steamrolling up the East Coast, slightly weakened, but still capable of packing a big punch when she barrels into New York City . Mayor Bloomberg is warning more than 370,000 New Yorkers in low-lying flood zones to evacuate now – before it’s too late.
Irene is now a Category 1 storm and will likely sock the city with 75 mph winds after 5 p.m. Saturday night. A storm surge could flood much of Lower Manhattan and the mayor says ConEdison may cut power in the area if salt flood waters threaten power lines.
"Staying behind is dangerous," Bloomberg said at a Coney Island press conference Saturday morning. "It is against the law."
The mayor's evacuation order is mandatory with the storm expected to hit the city Saturday night and blow strong into Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
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