Irene Loses Strength, Still a Threat

Hurricane Irene land Saturday, losing some power but threatening a catastrophic run up the U.S. East Coast. More than 2 million people were told to flee, and New York City ordered the nation's biggest subway system shut down for the first time because of a natural disaster.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said the enormous storm's top sustained winds slipped to 90 mph early Saturday from 100 mph overnight but warned Irene would remain a hurricane as it moves up the mid-Atlantic coast, still on track to hit the New York City area and New England.

As the storm's outer bands of wind and rain lashed the North Carolina coast, knocking out power in places, authorities farther north begged people to get out of harm's way.

"Don't wait. Don't delay," said President Obama, who cut short his summer vacation and returned to Washington. "I cannot stress this highly enough: If you are in the projected path of this hurricane, you have to take precautions now."

A coastal town official in North Carolina said witnesses believed a tornado spawned by Irene lifted the roof off a car dealership warehouse in Belhaven on Friday night.

Forecasters said the core of Irene would make landfall in the next few hours, roll up the mid-Atlantic coast Saturday night and over southern New England on Sunday.

Hurricane warnings remain up and down the East Coast.

Tropical Storm Emily Heading to Florida

Tropical storm Emily has been strengthening as it moves on its northwestern path and pushes its way through the Caribbean.

Earlier this morning, Emily was about 265 miles off the coast of Puerto Rico traveling around 17 miles an hour but it is expected to speed up as it moves across the Caribbean Sea today and moves closer towards the Dominican Republic, where there is a tropical storm watch.

By evening, it is projected that Emily will make its way to the island of Hispaniola.

In the latest advisory by the US National Hurricane Centre, Haiti, the US Virgin Islands, and the islands of St. Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat, and Antigua were also under a tropical storm watch.

Emily has yet to be defined as a Category 1 hurricane, the weakest type of hurricane where damage is typically leads to broken windows, destruction of older homes and roofs.

Thus far, Emily's maximum winds were up to 40 miles per hour. They should get stronger.

Earl is a Category 1 Hurricane in Atlantic

Weather observers Earl has strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane as it barrels toward several islands in the eastern Caribbean.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Danielle was bringing dangerous rip currents to the U.S. East Coast.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami says Earl could make landfall over the Northern Leeward Islands as soon as Sunday night.

Forecasters warn Hurricane Earl could bring battering waves and storm surge reaching up to 3 feet above normal tide levels in some areas. Hurricane warnings and watches had been issued for several islands.

Earl was 365 miles east of the Northern Leeward Islands and had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph.

Hurricane Danielle once had been a major Category 4 storm but weakened to Category 1 while about 440 miles east of Bermuda. Its top sustained winds fell to 90 mph as it moved northeast past the British island territory of Bermuda and farther from from the U.S. East Coast.

Danielle was expected to weaken gradually in the next two days and lose its tropical characteristics by Monday night.

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