U.S. Says Hurricane Irene to Impact Inland Region

Forecasters are now warning that Hurricane Irene, which is currently cutting its way through the Bahamas right now, could have a significant impact on not only the coastal areas of the United States southeast, but inland as well.

The category 3 hurricane is forecast to hit the coast of North Carolina on Saturday.

Thousands have been ordered to evacuate the coastal areas, as Irene is tracking parallel to the east coast of Florida, packing winds of 185 kilometers per hour.

CRI's Washington correspondent Wang Shanshan says the entire east coast of the United States is in the cross-hairs of Irene.

"The states of North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey declared emergencies for Hurricane Irene. In my neighborhood in Virginia, 20 min drive to Washington DC, the community is sending hurricane warnings to households, suggesting residents to secure homes, vehicles and boats, and stay away from the beach during the weekend. U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency or FEMA held a conference call earlier today. FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate said "we could expect tropical force winds or worse in the DC area". He said coastal evacuations were already under way in North Carolina and more were expected along the east coast as Irene approaches in the coming days. So far, no evacuation in Washington DC. The biggest concern in DC is the opening ceremony of the Martin Luther King Memorial scheduled on Sunday. US president Obama is expected to unveil the monument and make a speech. But there is news leaking out that the ceremony might be postponed if the weather is really bad."

The hurricane is already affecting air travel in Florida, with numerous flights out of Miami already cancelled.

Irene is the first of what is expected to be numerous hurricanes to form this hurricane season in the Atlantic.