New York - U.S. President, Barack Obama, has called on all authorities and all American citizens to take very seriously Hurricane Irene calling it potentially "historic".
"There are all conditions that indicate how Hurricane Irene is a town and we're taking the situation very seriously," Obama said. The president - who spoke from the island of Marthas Vineyard where he is still on holiday with his family - called on all citizens of the areas that will be affected by Irene time to prepare and take all precautionary measures necessary.
"If you are on the planned path of the hurricane - he said - already you have to take precautions. Do not wait and not delayed. And if you receive the order to evacuate - Obama said - please run it. "
Hurricane Irene could have "catastrophic consequences" for the city of New York and throughout the densely populated Northeast coast of the United States say the experts of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Hurricane Irene in the Bahamas on video:
To warn of a "potential disaster" had been in the past few hours, even the experts of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Hurricane Center. Among the scenarios, the consequences of flooding 'devastating': it would end up under water from Wall Street to JFK Airport.
Not to mention the flooding of the subway and concerns about the tunnel under the East River that connects Brooklyn to Manhattan. And in anticipation of the arrival of Irene tomorrow metropolitan New York close.
From tomorrow at noon local time (18 in Italy) the public transport system in upstate New York will stop. This was announced by Governor Andrew Cuomo. The bridges will be closed if the winds have a speed exceeding 60 mph (96 kph).
In the evening the New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, has organized the evacuation of some areas near the coast, including Battery Park in Manhattan, Coney Island in Brooklyn and Queens in the Far Rockawway. The evacuation must be completed by Saturday at 17.00, 23.00 on Italian. Mayor Bloomberg says that there are no guarantees that the public transport system back to normal Monday.