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U.S. says Hurricane Irene to impact inland region

25 August 2011 22:49 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. U.S. officials on Thursday warned Hurricane Irene, which is approaching the East Coast, could impact not only the coastal regions, but well inland, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

The category 3 hurricane, which is lashing the Bahamas now, will affect eastern North Carolina on Saturday. The eastern seaboard north from there is within its path, said National Hurricane Center Director Bill Read in a conference call held with Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate.

Fugate warned the impact of the hurricane could be felt inland, saying the hurricane "will not just be a coastal storm. We can see impacts well inland," Fugate said.

Read explains that means inland areas away from the coast could be impacted by heavy rain and gale-force wind, making it easier to be hit by flooding and falling trees.

"Flooding and power outages and damage caused by trees" could pose a threat to inland areas in the northeast, said Read.

As the storm approaches, North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue on Thursday declared a state of emergency. Thousands were ordered to evacuate the Atlantic coast. Fugate said more evacuations were expected in the coming days