As the hurricane Irene has been moving up the mid-Atlantic threateningly along the US East Coast with a speed of 90 mph (150 kph) and is poised to hit the New York City and New England, the government has ordered the evacuation of more than 2 million people to safer places.
New York City also ordered the closure of its subway system because of the impending natural disaster. The subway is the country’s biggest one and it is first time that the authorities have ordered its closure.
Already, the storm has resulted in heavy rains along with North Carolina coast knocking out power in some places.
Authorities issued hurricane warnings in areas from North Carolina to New York and farther north to the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard off Massachusetts. Evacuation of 2.3 million people has already begun in areas of New Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia and Delaware.
While the U.S. airlines cancelled 6,100 flights in several cities, New York City ordered evacuation of more than 300,000 people living in flood-prone areas.
