Hurricane Irene

WEATHER BULLETIN: A MASSIVE HURRICANE IS ON ITS WAY TO THE EAST COAST. SOME CITIES HAVE ALREADY EVACUATED. PLEASE BE SAFE!

-------------------

11 p.m. - Irene's core edges closer to Southeast

Hurricane Irene edged closer to southeastern North Carolina as band after band of forceful winds and rain lashed the coast.

The cyclone was centered about 140 miles south of Cape Lookout and trudged at a snail's pace of 13 mph, a drop from the 14 mph it had traveled throughout most of Friday. The slow, northward movement meant it would likely sit atop coastal North Carolina for several hours before moving north and taking aim at New England.

At 11 p.m., the National Weather Service reported that Irene had winds at 100 mph. It was cast as a Category 2, but that is expected to change as the storm churns north and weakens.

A hurricane warning remains in effect for the entire coast of North Carolina all the way up to Massachusetts. The core of the hurricane is expected to reach North Carolina tonight and pass over Saturday morning.

Gov. Beverly Perdue spoke with President Barack Obama Friday, asking him to prepare to provide further assistance to North Carolina if the storm wreaks havoc. She has also requested a federal disaster declaration, which, if granted, would allow the state to tap into federal assets, including financial resources, to help respond to the natural disaster.

A state-sponsored toll-free emergency information bilingual hotline has also opened to provide callers with details about the hurricane as it progresses up the coast. English and Spanish-speaking people should call 1-888-835-9966. Deaf and hard-of-hearing people may call 1-877-877-1765 (TTY) or 711

http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20110826/ARTICLES/110829784/1005/sports?Title=Hurricane-Irene-weather-bulletin-11-p-m-eye-moves-closer-

STAY UP TO DATE WITH WEATHER.COM

http://www.weather.com/