Hurricane Irene Puts 30 Million People Under Either A Hurricane Watch Or Warning

Yesterday, New Jersey’s Governor, Chris Christie put the Garden State under a State of Emergency. He is not alone. Six other states along the United States East Coast all declared a state of emergency. Below are the states now under an emergency:

• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Maryland
• New Jersey
• New York
• North Carolina
• Virginia

Currently, there are Hurricane Warnings in effect for the U.S. East Coast from Little River Inlet in North Carolina to Sandy Hook, New Jersey including the Pamlico, Albermarle, and Currituck sounds in North Carolina, Chesapeake Bay, and Delaware Bay. Approximately 9 million people live in the warned area.

A Hurricane Watch is now in effect from north of Sandy Hook, New Jersey to the mouth of the Merrimack River in Massachusetts. This includes New York City, Long Island, Long Island Sound, Block Island, Boston, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. Another 21 million people live in the watch area.

Tropical Storm Warnings are in effect from north of Edisto Beach, South Carolina to Little River Inlet, North Carolina and from north of Smith Point on Chesapeake Bay to the Tidal Potomac. In total approximately 65 million people are in the path of this storm, and face some sort of impact from it.