Wind and rain generated by Hurricane Irene are already hitting the Carolinas while citizens along the east coast wait for the storm to arrive full force.
The hurricane is expected to hit Saturday morning as a category 3, threatening people in at least a dozen states and forcing airlines to cancel flights.
Reports warn that the storm may increase in strength before it’s expected to impact the U.S. this weekend. Officials predict that North Carolina will be hit the hardest, but states along the coast as far north as Maine may experience rain and wind from the storm.
Mike Coscia, a freshman in journalism from Havertown, Penn., said some of his friends back home have been “freaking out” about the hurricane.
He said one of his friends who lives near the shore in New Jersey has been evacuated from her town.
Several airlines cancelled weekend flights to destinations from Boston to the Carolinas, preparing for Hurricane Irene. City officials in Washington, D.C. and New York City encouraged citizens in low-lying areas to review evacuation routes.
Coscia said overall he isn’t too worried, though. He said his family’s basement floods easily, but he isn’t expecting extreme damage.
“We get (a hurricane) every couple years, and there’s never been any serious damage,” he said.
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Caitlin Selle, a sophomore in Public Relations from Tega Cay, S.C., said she isn’t concerned about the storm hitting her home.
“I’m not really nervous for my hometown because, upon research, it looks like it’s going to hit farther north,” she said.
Selle called the evacuations in towns only a few hours from her home “a pretty big deal” but said her family is just expecting a lot of rain.
She predicted that her sister’s soccer game, which was scheduled in Raleigh this weekend, would probably be canceled.
Hannah Lavoie, a sophomore in social work from Wallingford, Conn., said she was nervous about the situation in her home state.
“Connecticut is in a state of emergency and I’ve never heard that before,” Lavoie said, “so I’m getting more and more nervous, but I know God is in control.”
Lavoie said she talked to her sister who reported the family had a generator and was moving outdoor items inside. Her sister said that lots of stores were sold out of flashlights, water bottles and generators.
Lavoie said universities in Connecticut where some of her friends attend school have already cancelled Monday’s classes.
Regardless, Lavoie said she knew God would protect people.
“God has his hand over the New England area,” she said, “and He’ll take care of them.”
Hurricane Irene is the strongest storm since 2005 to threaten the U.S. Atlantic coast.
