Gov. Andrew Cuomo  declared a state of emergency in New York on Thursday in preparation for Hurricane Irene, which could hit the state this weekend. Many projections have the hurricane making landfall somewhere in the Northeast on Sunday — possibly hitting New Jersey, Long Island or Connecticut that day — but with a wind speed that is expected to have slowed by then.

Under a state of emergency, New York can use state resources to assist local governments more quickly. The state is also allowed to activate the national Emergency Management Assistance Compact to bring in resources from outside of New York and access national resources earlier in preparation of an emergency.

North Carolina, New Jersey and Virginia have also declared states of emergency, according to an article published online by The New York Times on Thursday.

‘In this emergency I am activating all levels of state government to prepare for any situation that may be caused by Hurricane Irene,’ Cuomo said in a news release. ‘We are communicating with our federal and local partners to track the storm and to plan a coordinated response, and we will deploy resources as needed to the areas expected to be hit the hardest.’

The last hurricane to hit New York was Hurricane Bill in August 2009, leaving minor damage across the state. In the New York City area, six beaches — in Brooklyn, Queens and on Staten Island — were closed because of large waves created by Hurricane Bill, according to an article published by The New York Times on Aug. 22, 2009.

Coastal flood advisories and a flash flood warning were in effect for most of the New York area, according to the article. New York state park system officials reported waves of up to 10 feet high from Hurricane Bill, according to the article.

Cuomo also has ordered the state’s Emergency Operations Center in Albany to operate 24 hours a day in preparation of the expected effect from Hurricane Irene.

‘I urge New Yorkers to personally prepare for hurricane conditions and to cooperate with emergency officials if needed,’ Cuomo said in the release. ‘By working together, we will all be able to face this storm in a calm and organized manner.’

In North Carolina, thousands of tourists have had their vacations cut short by Hurricane Irene, which inched closer to the state on Thursday and is expected to hit the area sometime Saturday morning.

The exact strength of Hurricane Irene when it hits North Carolina remains unclear. It currently is classified as Category 3, with winds that could surpass 110 mph, but it could soon swell to Category 4, according to a Los Angeles Times article published online Thursday.

Local news outlets in North Carolina put the number of evacuees — vacationers and residents — at 200,000, according to the article. Starting at 6 a.m. Friday, a voluntary evacuation will go into effect for those who live in low-lying areas or trailer homes, as well as for the elderly or sick, according to the article.

More than 200 National Guard troops and highway patrol officers are being placed on standby in areas most likely to be hit along the coastline, according to the article.

‘Hurricane Irene poses a significant threat to our state,’ North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue said in a Thursday news release, ‘and we need to take appropriate action to ensure the safety of our residents and visitors, along with property and infrastructure along our cost.’

jdharr04@syr.edu

Published on August 24, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Jon: jdharr04@syr.edu