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Irene Closes In On East Coast; Bomb Blast at U.N. Building in Nigeria; Maryland Prepares for Irene; Interview with Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley

Aired August 26, 2011 - 09:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, guys, very much.

Good morning, everybody.

It is almost here. Hurricane Irene is curving closer and closer to tens of millions of people. Waves and wind already kicking up, and the first rains will soak the Southeast today. This is a big storm, hundreds of miles across. And even from space, it is a monster. An astronaut on the International Space Station called the view "terrifying."

And we've got crews deployed up and down the East Coast. We will hear from Reynolds Wolf is in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. John Zarrella is a little south of there in Atlantic Beach. Susan Candiotti reports from Fire Island, New York. Mary Snow is in New York City. And here in the hurricane headquarters, Jacqui Jeras.

Let's start with Reynolds Wolf in the North Carolina's outer banks.

Reynolds, they are bracing for a direct hit, aren't they?

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: They certainly are. You know, one of the most troubling things about this area is just the really the area itself and how it's susceptible to these tropical systems. When you think about the outer banks of North Carolina, first of all, you have to think about the water offshore. We've got a couple of things coming into play. First and foremost, to our south, we got a current that we refer to as the gulf stream. That works its way to the north.

And then a few fingers, of the Labrador current, that's the colder current, it comes in from the north and you have them converge right off Cape Hatteras.

Now, what happens -- you also have a bunch of navigational hazards right offshore. They refer to this as the graveyard of the Atlantic. Then you have outer banks themselves, Jim. The outer banks are just a ribbon of about 200 miles worth of sand, the widest point being about three miles and it's not really that high above sea level. In fact, in some places, it's only seven to 11 feet at its highest points along these barrier islands.

So, when you think about a big tropical system, a hurricane, a category two, maybe a category three with a storm surge of anywhere from, say, seven, eight, nine, 10, even 11, 12 feet, you can see how dangerous things get. Because the possibility of the storm coming closer. Irene looks like it has a beat on the outer banks. They have had some evacuations.

Many people began evacuating earlier in the week. They had the official evacuation for visitors on the island. They average about 150,000 on just a summer day in August.

Then have you people that live along this barrier island year- round, some 35,000. Those evacuations are going to take place today as of 8:00. They're doing it again. If people are going -- here is what's interesting, though. They call it mandatory but there are people that will be staying here.

And I got to tell you, one person has lived on these islands for the last 30 years and Bobby Outten, who works for the Dare County Management Office, he already laid out what he calls is his nightmare scenario.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOBBY QUTTEN, DARE COUNTY, N.C. MANAGER: Worst case scenario for us is a storm coming up the sounds with the eastern side coming up the outer banks, which is what the track right now does. Then it becomes size and speed, and we have a storm that's moving at, I don't know, 10 or 12 the last time I saw projected out of three or maybe a high two, which is a big storm for us. And so, that's our worst case scenario and we're in it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOLF: OK. So, think about that for a moment. You have this system moving to the north, you have a strip of sand that jets out of the Atlantic., then, of course, as this comes up, counterclockwise rotation, the first thing's going to happen, you're going to have the rain, you're going to have the wind, but also a great deal of storm surge that's going to roll off the top half from the Atlantic.

Then you have the back beige. You've got the (INAUDIBLE), you've got the inter-coastal water way at the sounds, that's going to bring in an initial mass of water in from the back half of this rotating storm. So, again, it's kind of a 1-2 punch they are dealing with easily for the next 24 to 36 hours.

Let's pitch it back to you, Jim!

ACOSTA: Good information, Reynolds. Thanks so much.

New Yorkers are in unfamiliar territory right now, trying to get their heads around a hurricane that could swamp the city. Mayor Michael Bloomberg is considering mandatory evacuations and his decision could come today.

Mary Snow has the details.

And, Mary, this is kind of scary to think about, because so much of Lower Manhattan is susceptible to this kind of storm surge.

Which areas are likely to be evacuated?

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jim. And we are in Lower Manhattan, which is a big area of concern because it's a low-lying area. There are a couple of pockets throughout the city and if there were mandatory evacuations, it would be really focus on the zones most at risk.

So, Lower Manhattan as you see, going out to Battery Park, the area near Ground Zero. Also in some of the outer boroughs, Staten Island, which is behind me also. Parts of Brooklyn, Coney Island, also seen also as vulnerable and the Rockaways.

And the mayor saying he will make that decision by tomorrow morning around 8:00 on whether to order those evacuations, but he is telling New Yorkers to be prepared and if you are in areas that look like they are in those zones that are most vulnerable, to consider going and staying with relatives.

ACOSTA; And, Mary, we are showing some animation right now of what looks like water coming ashore on both sides of the Hudson River. Is that basically sort of the situation we're looking in the worst case scenario if that storm surge is severe?

SNOW: In the worst case scenario. And, again, it's still too early to tell what kind of impact New York would feel. It's expected that New York would feel this impact by Sunday and we should be getting an update within a couple of hours from the city in terms of what their plans are.

But, yes. You know, we have talked to a number of hurricane experts also who say it wouldn't take a major hurricane to hit in order to cause significant flooding because the real worry is these storm surges and the flooding in some of these areas.

ACOSTA: Mary Snow in Lower Manhattan for us -- thank you, Mary.

And meteorologist Jacqui Jeras is tracking the storm as it closes in on the East Coast.

And, Jacqui, I guess a lot of folks are concerned about the timetable, exactly when this is going to strike. I know things are moving minute-by-minute. But what can you tell us?

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Right. Well, not only focus on landfall the because the impact of the storm are already beginning to move in and you're feeling this across parts of the Carolinas and part of that has to do with how huge this storm is. Now, the eye itself is somewhere between 300, 200 miles away from the coastline and it's moving due north.

And if it continues due north, we'd be looking at landfall just east of I-40 and just west of Cape Lookout. That is the big impact zone in terms of the hurricane force winds and the worst of the storm surge. But we are already feeling the impacts with the winds.

Look at this, 32-mile-per-hour winds, 33 sustained winds. So, we are getting close to tropical storm force sustained winds and that's moving in this afternoon.

So, you need to rush to complete those preparation plans. You should be done! But if you're not done, hurry up and get out of there!

If you're in the evacuation zone, we're going to watch these bands increase throughout the day today. The rain is going to come down heavy and as we get those most intense thunderstorms move in, we'll watch those winds continue to pick up even more.

By the way, Florida still getting hit with this storm as well with the showers and the thunder showers and some of those heavy winds.

Now, the winds, how strong are they? The maximum, 110 miles per hour. So, if this is the first time you've tuned on it, that's down from the major category three storm we had yesterday, but by 1 miles an hour. One mile an hour, that's it -- 111, that's what it needs to be a hurricane.

It's been going through what we call an eye wall replacement cycle. That means that eye wall kind of collapses a little bit, but a new one develops on outside of it. And, ultimately, that can close in and make it a stronger storm.

So, this could go back up to a three and that's what you need to be prepared for. We do have a little bit of dry air trying to make its way into there. That could, you know, impact the intensity just a little bit.

Now, let's talk about the rainfall that's going to be coming in with this, too. Take a look at that. All of that dark purple, that's between six and 12 inches of rain. We're talking about inland flooding as well as the coastal flooding -- not to mention all the power outages we are expecting with that.

All right. Let's talk a little bit more about that timing, that northerly direction will continue and we'll watch the worst of the conditions begin to move in overnight tonight, landfall will likely be sometime tomorrow. And then it's going to move its way up towards Norfolk and Virginia Beach, up towards the Delmarva, and into the Northeast.

And this is going to be in through here. It's pretty much an all day Sunday event and then will likely continue into early Monday morning for parts of New England.

So, we got a long way to go with the storm impacting millions of people. Those models are coming together much more so now, Jim, in terms of their consensus. And so, it's looking very likely we have one, probably two landfalls to go with this.

ACOSTA: And, as you said -- I mean, the worsening conditions will be happening tonight. So, folks are waiting until the last second to evacuate those areas they want to rethink that and start planning now to get out now.

JERAS: And some of those bridges will close down just from tropical storm force winds. That will bring up enough surge and enough high water to close them off, so you don't have a lot of time.

ACOSTA: All right. Jacqui Jeras, thanks so much.

Maryland is one of the states in Irene's path. The governor there, Martin O'Malley has declared a state of emergency. Next hour, he is holding a news conference and we'll have more on that when it happens.

Overseas, there's been a deadly bomb attack at the U.N. building in Nigeria's capital. Let's get straight to Zain Verjee in London with the latest.

Zain, this sounds very serious.

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: It is. At least seven have been killed and more than that number have been injured, some seriously. The bomb squad is on the scene, security forces also on the scene.

They are reporting that there was apparently a car bomb that went to the side of the United Nations building and what happens was, Jim, was that one of the walls just collapsed. It was an area one witness says the where the reception was, as well as offices. And when the wall caved in, it just fell on people and when the casualties occurred.

By the way, this is a diplomatic area, Jim. The U.S. embassy is close to where the United Nations headquarters are. Apparently, because it was a diplomatic area and Liberian embassy was there as well, it wasn't actually that busy with so many people teeming around during the time of the day.

It happened, according to one witness, about 10:15 in the morning local time. What is happening now is that more casualties are being taken out of the debris by the Red Cross and they're going into the hospitals that weren't properly stopped, so calling in extra nurses and doctors to try to help -- Jim.

ACOSTA: All right, Zain. Thanks so much. We know you'll stay on top it.

And coming up, much more on Hurricane Irene. The monster-sized storm threatens much of the East Coast, but not everyone is heeding the call of mandatory evacuations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's mandatory for nonresidents because they have somewhere else to go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: They may want to rethink that. The latest for those in the hurricane's cone of uncertainty is coming up.

Plus, how do you prepare for more than 7 million people on one island for a hurricane? We'll tell you how one town is doing it, just ahead.

(COMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: Welcome back.

We are keeping a close eye on Hurricane Irene. The category two storm is taking a parallel line, roughly 200 miles off the coast of Florida. Here is the live video that we have of the churning surf of the Jacksonville Beach -- that's Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, correction. And you can se it's starting to kick up and looking meaner by the minute. So, we will keep a close eye on that.

Checking stories across the country:

The view of Hurricane Irene from space, 200 miles above the eye of the category two storm. This is what it looks like this morning from the International Space Station -- pretty dramatic stuff.

And this is the ground level view of how people in the path of Irene are reacting. Check out those gas lines. Many folks in southern New Jersey are making a beeline for the gas stations and then heading to higher ground. Look at that traffic there.

In the wake of evacuation orders for people living near the shore were in low-lying areas -- a good reason to plan ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What part of mandatory evacuation does not mean mandatory for you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's in Cape May so far.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you guys still -- you're going to ignore it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's mandatory for nonresidents because they have somewhere else to go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Yes, that's exactly what emergency officials don't want to hear at this point.

Here is a question. How do you get 7.5 million people ready for a hurricane? The answer? One town at a time.

Long island, New York, is right in the path of Hurricane Irene and that means towns such as East Hampton, a summer resort community, needs to get ready right now.

Bill Wilkinson is the East Hampton Town supervisor and he's on the phone with me right now.

Bill, thanks for joining us.

BILL WILKINSON, TOWN SUPERVISOR, EAST HAMPTON, NY (via telephone): Good morning. Thank you.

ACOSTA: And, Bill, what are you doing right now to get ready?

WILKINSON: Well, you know, in about two hours, we are going to issue a voluntary evacuation notice to the residents in the motel and hotel owners to probably mostly because we expect long, long delays as these roads start to get jammed. We are sitting at 125 miles in the Atlantic and there is from Southampton so the end of Long Island, there's only two lanes.

So we would like to get people adequate notice to say if you have to get somewhere and you want to get home, you better get on the road soon. So that will happen -- that will happen starting at about noon today.

ACOSTA: Yes, Bill, I've been on those roads before. I've been out to that beach. It's a beautiful place but it's not easy to get out in a hurry if traffic is jammed up.

What do you say to those folks out there like the folks we just showed in that clip a few moments ago who are taking their chances?

WILKINSON: You know, again, this is the time to be most cautious. We urge, sort of like when we had these beaches that don't have lifeguards to swim at your own risk, to pay attention what is going on.

A lot of our community, are tourist communities, and people coming out for the first time that aren't familiar with the risks of ocean surges and wind conditions and falling branches, and that's why we are trying to get out at least 24 hours before normal to ensure that proper notice is given and they can make some responsible decisions on egress, if necessary.

ACOSTA: And, Bill, we know there are places like Ocean City, Maryland, that have issued mandatory evacuation orders. Are you looking at that as a possibility? At what point do you get to that?

WILKINSON: You know, I think tomorrow, we'll take a better look. We are certainly going to pay very, very close attention to low-lying areas in our communities. We have certain communities between Amagansett and Montauk that are a great risk. There are sections of Montauk that are at great risk because they are two feet above sea level. They are low-lying to begin with.

So, as a result, we will be focused on those communities with patrols and literally hourly determinations to see if we have to make mandatory evacuations and guide some of these individual residents and occupants into shelters if we so open shelters.

ACOSTA: All right. Bill, thanks for joining us. Bill Wilkinson, the town supervisor in East Hampton, New York. Best of luck to you, sir. We appreciate it.

Looking across the globe:

To Libya, the rebels have taken the Gadhafi compound. And now, we are getting a look at some of the weird stuff they have found. Yes, a scrapbook with pictures of a former U.S. politician. You won't believe who it is.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: And also this morning, the fight for Libya is not over. CNN's team at the Tripoli airport is reporting Gadhafi loyalists have shelling buildings there. At least one airplane has been set on fire from today's attacks. Attacks on the airport have been coming from a nearby village for several days now, as they try to hold back advances by rebels.

Elsewhere, the hunt is intensifying for Gadhafi. Rebels are going door-to-door, looking for the dictator.

And while he remains a fugitive, he did surface in an apparent audiotape urging his loyalists to keep fighting.

The rebels have taken Gadhafi's compound and they are going through the secret underground tunnels that were built there. Some think this was an escape route for a desperate dictator in the last couple of days.

CNN's Sara Sidner is in Tripoli.

And, Sara, you've actually been down some of those tunnels. What did you find?

SARA SIDNER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Unbelievable. If I did not see it myself I wouldn't have believed. I know it's a rumor for a really long time. But we got there and the opposition was there.

They said, look, if you want to see, we can take you into part of it but we haven't been able to get all the way through it. It is so massive.

They believe that the tunnels go all the way to the airport which is 20 kilometers from his compound and to the Rixos Hotel where a lot of the press conferences were held. We have not been able to get all the way through them, but we did see a bit of it and want to show you what it looked like a few moments ago.

ACOSTA: And, Sara, I'm watching video of you going through what looks like videotapes on a shelf. Any idea what is in those videotapes?

SIDNER: We don't know exactly what is in those tapes. What we can tell you that area was where he used to send out his messages. So, you remember those messages he would send out, they would be these videotaped messages instead of audiotape. And he would send them out every now and then or do his live broadcasts.

Well, I think that where it happened. There was a studio set up there. It was all burned. And you remember that we didn't hear from him for a while after there were those massive bombings. I think there was something like 60 bombs that fell in and around the area when NATO flew over and began its strikes. That area was bombed.

We actually saw where the roof had a massive hole in it and a bunch of shrapnel and it was completely black. So, obviously, a fire. They couldn't use it anymore and that's why we didn't hear from him.

ACOSTA: Wow.

And let's talk about some of those stuff that was found, including a scrapbook, is this correct, Condoleezza Rice? This is strange stuff.

SIDNER: I'm not sure. But I do know there were pictures and that sort of thing. We were in a part of the tunnel where no one else had gone before. So, imagine this massive city -- oh, we also saw a golf cart so that gives you an idea. You couldn't walk the tunnels all the way if you wanted to.

There was a golf cart inside that had been blown to bits. But it, obviously, went through. There was just enough room for it to go through these tunnels. And they are very high. Probably about seven feet high and room for three of me standing side-by-side walking down the tunnel.

I mean, I have to tell it you, it's one of those scenarios where you hear about these things and you say, well, you know, people exaggerate. It's not an exaggeration. This is an entire complex of a city underground.

ACOSTA: Sara, as the hunt goes down for Gadhafi, the tale gets stranger and stranger. And I know you'll bring us the latest.

Sara Sidner, live this morning from Libya -- we appreciate it very much. Thanks for all of your bravery.

Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange where stocks are open for a lower open.

Alison, traders keep an eye on Ben Bernanke and Hurricane Irene today. That's a lot to look at.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: And you add more thing, they are looking at the latest figures, Jim, on GDP, the revised look at second quarter GDP. They show that our economy grew at just 1 percent annual pace, worse than the initial reading last month. And these numbers are going to be revised one more time.

And, yes, what everybody has been waiting for happening in half an hour. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke speaking at Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We're not expecting to hear about any additional stimulus measures but investors are still anxious to hear his take on things.

And, yes, what you mentioned, the other big concern, the weather -- Hurricane Irene. Wall Street sits basically at the southernmost tip of Manhattan so Wall Street is really keeping an eye on this hurricane because it's in a zone where flooding is a big risk. So far, no evacuation order has been given for this area.

And the NYSE is telling us they intend to be open for trading on Monday, but they do have some contingency plans in place with a goal of having the markets up and running and keeping everybody safe as well -- Jim.

ACOSTA: And, hopefully, they have some canoes on stand by. I mean, if you look the storm surge estimates, Alison -- I mean, some of that animation that we showed earlier showed that storm surge rolling very close to Wall Street. I mean, I'm guessing the traders have been talking about this.

KOSIK: They have. And, you know, keep in mind, though, it does take a lot to shut down the New York Stock Exchange.

ACOSTA: Exactly.

KOSIK: The last time operations were affected at all because of the weather was back in January of 1996. That's when there was a big blizzard. It delayed the open -- the opening bell happened at 11:00, the close moved up to 2:00.

And the NYSE hasn't actually been closed completely because of weather since 1985. That's when Hurricane Gloria hit. Gloria also looked kind of similar, took a similar path to what Irene, looks like, is taking. It made landfall in North Carolina before working its way up the coast.

We'll see what happens with Irene and see if I'll be sitting here in this chair on Monday, Jim.

ACOSTA: OK. We'll be tuning in. Thanks, Alison. Appreciate it.

In a few moments, we're going to be taking you to Atlantic Beach. Our John Zarrella is there with the latest as we start to see the effects of Irene coming ashore.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: Checking top stories now:

At least seven people have killed and many more injured in a bombing of a U.N. building in Nigeria that. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan announced his resignation today. His approval rating plummeted after the country's earthquake triggered nuclear disaster.

And Hurricane Irene, as we know, is threatening more than 50 million people living along the Eastern Seaboard. The storm could make landfalls over the weekend -- first in North Carolina and then in the Northeast.

And these are live pictures you're looking at right now from Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Take a look at that. The waves are starting to kick up. They're coming ashore. Looking more like a hurricane that's on the way than it looked even earlier this morning.

We have reporters up and down the East Coast following Irene today and throughout the weekend. We'll also bring you the latest on Irene's track from our Severe Weather Center.

Let's check in with CNN meteorologist Reynolds Wolf on the northern end of the Outer Banks in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. Reynolds, I spent a lot of my childhood going down to those beaches in the Outer Banks. Local residents have experienced dealing with storms down there. What about evacuation orders? Do they have them at this time?

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEROLOGIST: I'll tell you, they have already had some evacuation orders. I got to tell you, just moments ago I felt some the first raindrops. The rain is starting to move in. The people definitely, definitely moving out.

They had some evacuations yesterday but I have to tell you earlier, we actually drove into the beach yesterday. You had just masses of people that were evacuating. One side of the highway, just completely full. The other side, just a few sparse cars here and there. We of course, happened to be one of them coming on in.

There was the mandatory evacuation for tourists yesterday. The manadatory evacuation for locals has already started. But keep in mind, that doesn't mean it just happens in one fell swoop. We had people left the Outer Banks days and day ago; some people canceled their vacation altogether. And when you have a system that is this wide, that is going to make a beeline right up in this direction, possibly making landfall in the Outer Banks, it definitely stands to reason to take heed to those evacuation orders.

We actually spoke with one gentleman yesterday named Richard Potts. He was here visiting some family. He decided not to take any chances and he left yesterday.

Well, I got to tell you, these storms actually make their impression felt here in a myriad of ways. Most recently, back in 2003 you had a storm that actually made landfall farther to the south. We're talking about another "I" storm. Not Irene. In this situation, we're talking about Isabel. Isabel left a huge impression and in fact, cut a part of the island out. Some 2,000 feet away from the island, up to 15 feet in depth. All due to the heavy storm surge, the incredible erosion.

And that erosion is something that happens all the time on these kind of barrier islands. There is nothing beneath our feet except more sand. These aren't built on limestone. These islands aren't really made with coral or anything like that. It's just pure sand. So, of course, erosion is heightened quickly when you have the tropical systems develop offshore and of course, make a direct hit. Back to you.

ACOSTA: They have been worry about the erosion issues for years, Reynolds. Thanks so much

Let's head south on the North Carolina coastline. CNN's John Zarrella is on Atlantic Beach across from Morehead City. John has just a little experience covering these kinds of storms. He's been doing it for many years.

How are things looking there, John?

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you can see, Jim, they are starting to board up. We did see some of yesterday here on Atlantic Beach. But a lot of folks waited today to make sure the forecast is what it looks like it will be, that we could very well be very close to, if not in the eye of the storm. Take you from here right down to the beach here.

Jim, probably know this area and what is interesting this is actually a south-facing beach. So, if Irene comes straight up at us, we will get the eye wall, and we could get the left side of the storm, which would mean storm surge here. But it's going to be running up this, the coast this way. So it's actually going to be paralleling us.

So, right here you can see this building is already boarded up. They have actually got some sandbags down here as well. They didn't put any boards on the doors. Double-pane glass there. But they say they are ready here.

But folks I've talked to in the last few minutes have said you know what? This could be the worst hurricane this area of North Carolina has experienced in decades. That is the fear right now. See right down there? The lifeguard stand? It was about 40 -- 30, 40 yards closer to the water. The municipal workers have been here already this morning. They moved it further up the beach. They have moved a lot of structures off the beach already. Things that might blow around.

So, really big concern here, obviously, because of the track of the storm now, it's not just wind. It's water, it's rain. Storm surge. It's all of the combinations that they are very, very concerned about here on Atlantic Beach. Just a couple ways in off the island, mandatory evacuations already ordered. But you can see still a lot of people here. A lot of people we talked to, Jim, said you know what? We are going this time. And yet there are others who are saying we are just going to stay and just see how this thing all shakes out. Jim?

ACOSTA: John, we have been keeping such a close eye on the Gulf Coast for so many years now because that is where the bulk of the activity has been. It's interesting that you say people in the area where you're at right now are taking this more seriously than they have with other storms in previous years. This part of the country has not seen something like this in some time, so it's notable to point out that a lot of the old-timers in your neck of the woods are saying we're getting out of here.

ZARRELLA: Yes, a lot of years, '99, they had Floyd that came up right up the coast by them. Did a lot of damage mostly inland from a lot of heavy rain and flooding. '84, I remember covering Diana, which came inland right in Wilmington just a couple of hours down the road from us here as a Category 2 and did considerable damage.

But they have not -- people here, the old-timers say they don't ever remember a direct hit from a major hurricane. Maybe Hazel in the 1950s.

ACOSTA: Wow.

ZARRELLA: That is a long time ago. Jim?

ACOSTA: All right. John, thanks for the warning. We appreciate it.

About 7.5 million people live on Long Island. Leaving that congested area could be a traffic nightmare. Our Susan Candiotti is on Smith Point on Long Island. And Susan, we were talking to somebody up the coast in East Hampton a little while ago. And they were just talking about voluntary evacuation orders at that point. But as John mentioned, the storm is getting more serious.

How is the weather today for people who may be on the move? Today might be a good day to get going, right?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's the perfect day to prepare, because there isn't any rain forecast. Might get a shower or two but really, it's a beautiful, balmy day. The perfect time to get to stores, to get to drugstores, to get to the ATM to get some cash. To scoop up all of the supplies that people will need to ride out the storm.

And its aftermath because, at the very least, the National Hurricane Center, FEMA, are predicting there is going to be a fairly sizeable storm surge here. Certainly flooding for sure in low-lying areas. And you have a lot of those here. And all that rain, you're going to have downed trees and certainly power outages.

So, people really need to have enough water and some canned foods, supplies. Food to get them through at least three days. And water after a storm in case there are power outages that could go on for days.

But right now, of course, we're still a couple of days out. We are not expecting an impact here probably until Sunday afternoon. That is what they are saying now.

Over my shoulder, since you've been looking at a lot of surf shots, we wanted to show you the surf is this direction from me facing south. So, this is north behind me. This is an inlet South Point Park. And over there, you can see of course, we're on a barrier island. So it takes a bridge to get across to the mainland, and you'll get a sense maybe you can make out some homes in these low- lying areas they are talking about, making sure people will get out of here.

For certain, there will be a mandatory evacuation here at this park, probably late in the day today. And authorities are telling people to get ready today because evacuation orders for these low- lying beachside communities that go up and down the south shore of Long Island are likely to kick in as early as later today.

So, Jim, a lot of preparations need to be done, and we get a sense are being done. And also a lot of people telling us it's been years since they have had a big hit here, certainly a direct impact from a hurricane. So a lot of people are already making plans to move inland, to go with families, to stay on higher ground. Jim?

ACOSTA: It's been a long time for a lot of people up and down the East Coast. Susan Candiotti on Long Island, thanks so much.

Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras is tracking the storm as it closes in on the East Coast. And Jacqui, we are hearing this time and again, whether it's from John Zarrella in North Carolina or Susan Candiotti up in New York, it's been a lot of time for the people who live in hurricane vulnerable areas on the East Coast who have seen something like this. And you know, it might be a good idea to get ready.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEROLOGIST: It definitely is! Not might!

ACOSTA: It is!

JERAS: Definitely. And you should be rushing to complete whatever you need to do in the Carolinas and rearrange your flights. You know? Make your family plan if you don't have it and make sure you have that disaster kit and to-go kit to bring with you as well. Because the impacts of the storm often arise hours ahead of the main brunt of that storm.

Now, one of the worst things we are concerned about with the storm is what we call storm surge. OK, this isn't one big wave of water that washes up on the shore. This is a slow, steady progression of the water that gets pushed up from the strong winds.

Now, this is a simulation that I want to show you. A storm surge interactive risk map that will show you who is going to get what kind of water typically, depending on the category of the storm. And this is a model that shows you a Category 2 storm. And I want to zoom in. And just to keep in mind that you don't have to live exactly on the coast to have some of these issues as we head into the Carolinas, the forecast here is that we could see anywhere between 6 to 11-foot storm surge and that includes Albermarle and Pimlico Sound. As we head up toward the Chesapeake Bay into the Delaware we're talking about 4- to 8-feet of storm surge. And then on up toward the Jersey Shore talking as much as 3 to 6 feet.

Take a look. This goes all the way up through the rivers, this goes all through the banks. Look at this! This is predicting potential storm surge or rises in the water all the way up beyond Poughkeepsie. So, this is a very large, powerful storm. And because of the size, Jim, that storm surge is going to be greater than it normally would be with a Category 1 or 2 storm as it heads into the Northeast.

ACOSTA: OK, Jacqui. We'll take that as another note of caution. Appreciate it.

Irene may be an uninvited guest for one couple's wedding on the Long Island Sound. So, will they go with their beach wedding in a hurricane? I hope not. But we will ask them, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: Well, they say rain is good luck on a wedding day, but what about a hurricane? Irene is about to threaten the wedding for a particular couple that you might find having a name familiar here. Irene Rios and David Kanoaff. They are plan to have their wedding in West Haven, Connecticut. And Irene and David join us from New York this morning.

And, well, you tried. You almost pulled this thing off. What are you going to do? What's happening?

IRENE RIOS, HURRICANE THREATENING WEDDING: Well, first thing we want to say is this is such a light and airy story in the midst of many people's heartache and danger.

ACOSTA: Right.

RIOS: So, putting that in perspective, it's been so amusing to us to have a hurricane named after me. And we have decided just this morning, after watching all of the newscasts that it wasn't prudent and it wasn't wise so move forward with our reception. And we scrapped our honeymoon --

ACOSTA: Oh, boy.

RIOS: But we will have our ceremony. We wanted to be married, and we will be married in our living room with our three grown children and our pastor. And he lives in West Haven and as soon as we are done, he can go home and we will be under our battened-down hatches safe hopefully.

ACOSTA: That's good to hear. And you won't forget this wedding day, that's for sure.

RIOS: Never.

ACOSTA: The date will be etched in your memories forever, right?

And so, what do you do with all of your guests? What happens to all of the money that you spent on preparations, and --

(LAUGHTER)

ACOSTA: Maybe I shouldn't ask.

RIOS: Well, it's, again, other people are facing worst hardships. But in our situation, we will make another plan for another party at another time. We have about 120 friends and family who did want to be part of our celebration and we will have a celebration another day when it's safer for all of us.

ACOSTA: And you know -- what do you make of all of this? I mean you seem to have a pretty good attitude about it. They always say something is going to go wrong on your wedding day, right? If it's not the flowers or the caterer, it's going to be something. Of course, nobody ever puts hurricane into that mix, but it seems like you're taking this in stride.

DAVID KNAUF, HURRICANE THREATENING WEDDING: What else can you do, you know?

ACOSTA: Good point.

KNAUF: I mean you know, it really is nothing that you could possibly anticipate. I only have ever known one Irene and now I guess we are all going to get to meet another one.

ACOSTA: There's only one Irene in your life is that it?

KNAUF: Absolutely. That's the way we wanted it to be but we can't control mother nature.

ACOSTA: That is true. Well, Irene and David, we hope you stay safe, obviously, and best of luck to you and best wishes on your nuptials. Glad you're still taking the plunge so to speak.

KNAUF: Oh.

ACOSTA: I'm sorry. We are trying to lighten things up, at least for a few moments this morning.

RIOS: Exactly. Exactly. Well, we just hope Hurricane Irene isn't as mean as she might be able to be so hopefully everyone will be safe.

KNAUF: Right. We're wishing everybody good luck.

ACOSTA: Irene and David, thanks so much. We second that. Appreciate your time. RIOS: Thank you.

KNAUF: Thank you.

ACOSTA: Well, mandatory evacuation orders are now in effect for parts of Maryland. We talk next with the state's governor who has some pretty strong words about the storm. That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: In our next hour, Maryland governor Martin O'Malley will speak about Hurricane Irene but he's talking to us now before that news conference. Joining us now on the phone from Maryland's emergency management headquarters. Governor O'Malley, thanks for joining us this morning.

GOV. MARTIN O'MALLEY, MARYLAND: Thank you, Jim. Good to be with you.

ACOSTA: You have ordered some mandatory evacuations in Ocean City and you called this a monster hurricane. Are you ok with the response so far? Has it been good enough in your estimate?

O'MALLEY: Well, it's proceeding. You know? We have not -- we have not in modern times ordered a mandatory evacuation of Ocean City. So but we are -- it's in full force right now. I am watching the traffic coming across the Bay Bridge as we speak. And it seems to be a pretty constant flow here at around 9:30.

So we're encouraged. We hope to have everybody off of the island by 5:00 p.m. tonight. And we are working with the mayor of Ocean City and Ocean City Police to effectuate that.

There are also some lower lying islands in the bay like Smith Island which is also being evacuated. And we're working in partnership with our county leaders to determine those areas. Kent Island is another place which is the island just on the other side of the Bay Bridge. A lot of low-lying parts of Kent Island and that is undergoing a voluntary evacuation right now.

So this is a very large, very potentially deadly storm and we are taking it very, very seriously.

ACOSTA: And governor, what do you do with those folks who refuse to evacuate? And there may be some who say, look, we can't afford to evacuate. We can't leave our properties or businesses. What then?

O'MALLEY: Well, the police officers have the discretion and also have the authority to physically move them, if necessary. And if the police officers believe that is in the best interest of managing this event. And we leave it to the police officers on the ground there to determine that. but they have the ability to move them under this order. So that is what they will do.

ACOSTA: They will literally go to homes or businesses and if there are people there, they will get them out? O'MALLEY: Depending on the circumstances and depending on the emergency and depending on where their home is. Right now, as that door-to-door happens, people who are refusing to leave will be visited by police officers and they make a very persuasive case.

Anybody that thinks that this is a normal hurricane and that they can just stick it out is being both selfish, stupid and also diverting essential public safety assets away from the task at hand which is safeguarding lives and getting people out of the way. It is the height of selfishness for people not evacuate.

One weekend of inconvenience of staying with friends or family on higher ground is a small price to pay to protect life.

ACOSTA: All right. Strong words from the governor of Maryland. Martin O'Malley, thanks very much. We know you have a press conference coming up in the next hour, so we'll let you go. But we appreciate your time. Thank you sir.

If you have air travel plans this weekend, it might be a good idea to check with your airplanes for those flights up and down the East Coast may be canceled or delayed because of hurricane Irene. A travel update after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: One more thing to worry about this morning. Travel across the East Coast is going to be affected by Hurricane Irene: New York, Washington, Boston, Philadelphia. Washington home to some of the busiest airports in the country. They could all be impacted by Hurricane Irene. We will be talking to our Alexandria Steele about all of that coming up in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: Well, the Boston Red Sox have one of the best records in baseball, but they are no match for Hurricane Irene. The Sox are returning to Fenway Park this weekend after a road trip, but their Sunday game with Oakland has been moved to Saturday as part of a day/night double header because of the impending storm.

Sunday's Marlins-Phillies game in Philadelphia will also be moved up to make a Saturday double header. Other games being rescheduled because of Irene: the Jets-Giants NFL pre-season game will be played tomorrow afternoon instead of at night. And the final of the tennis' New Haven Open will also be held tomorrow afternoon.

It is a good thing the New York Yankees didn't have to postpone their game with the A's because of Irene. The Yankees set a major league record, look at this, hitting three grand slam home runs in one game. The barrage began after Oakland led 7-1. The Yankees wound up beating the A's 22-9.