Community Corner

Hurricane Warnings Remain in Effect for Connecticut

The state's Emergency Operations Center released the following update a short time ago on Irene.

At 11 a.m. the center of Hurricane Irene was 35.2 north, 76.4 west (approximately 120 miles south of Norfolk, Va.).  Irene has maximum sustained winds of 85 mph and is moving to the North - Northeast at 15 MPH.   

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) continues to forecast that Irene will remain a Category I hurricane Saturday and remain a Category I hurricane as the storm moves up the East Coast Saturday night and into New England Sunday morning. Irene is forecast to move up along the New Jersey coast early Sunday morning and make landfall in the Stamford area around 11 a.m. 

The first effects from Irene are still expected to begin this evening with heavier rain and tropical storm force winds moving into Connecticut between 10 p.m. and midnight. Hurricane force winds are forecast to arrive along the coast at 7 a.m. Sunday. 

Find out what's happening in Clintonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Very heavy rain at times (especially in Western Connecticut) is expected to continue from midnight tonight through the passage of the center of Irene around 11 Sunday morning and into the mid-afternoon.   

River flooding from Irene is forecast to be moderate to major with the more severe flooding on smaller rivers and in urban areas.  Major coastal flooding is possible with storm surges of 4 to 7 feet possible in western Long Island Sound during high tide Sunday at 11 a.m. Irene is 23 hours from landfall and forecast confidence is high. Some small changes to the track forecast are still possible. 

Find out what's happening in Clintonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection will issue another update on Irene at 5:15 p.m. Saturday.


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