Track of Hurricane Irene Shifts West; Major Impacts to I-95 Corridor this Weekend

GAITHERSBURG, MD—(August 25, 2011) The expected path of Hurricane Irene has taken a westward shift over the past 24 hours, as the storm appears set to take a track which would create major disruptions from North Carolina northward into the New England states. As of Thursday morning, category 3 Irene, packing winds of 115 mph, was moving to the northwest at 13 mph over the northern Bahamas. The storm is expected to strengthen slightly before shifting north tomorrow. MDA EarthSat’s current forecast takes Irene over the Outer Banks of North Carolina early Sunday morning before showing the storm’s center following just off the coast of Maryland and Delaware, making a second landfall potentially on or near Long Island. Irene is an extremely large hurricane and is expected to make an initial landfall as a category 3 hurricane over the Outer Banks. Winds should remain at hurricane strength as the storm moves up the coast along the Mid-Atlantic, though likely not of category 3 intensity. However, sustained winds in excess of 75 mph are possible in New York City at the height of the storm, Sunday afternoon through Monday morning. Winds of these strengths are capable of bringing down trees and power lines, potentially creating prolonged outages in the region.

Another major worry ahead of this storm is that of rainfall amounts. Philadelphia and New York have seen record amounts of rainfall thus far this month, and rains from Irene could cause detrimental flooding across the region. Early forecast rainfall amounts in and around the Tri-State area look to average 6-10”, with amounts up to 12” possible in many locations. With grounds already saturated, even wind speeds under those of storm force would be able to topple trees. “Millions could potentially be without power for an extended period of time,” says Chris Hyde, a meteorologist with MDA. “While Earl spared the Northeast just a year ago, Irene appears set to deliver a major blow. Now is the time to prepare for this major hurricane, as impacts appear imminent.”

About MDA EarthSat Weather: EarthSat Weather (http://www.mdainformationsystems.com) is the leading consulting group for weather risk and commodity weather products and services in the world. EarthSat Weather maintains a short-, medium-, and long-range forecast service; provides special reports on key market-moving concerns; and maintains high levels of communication, including 24/7/365 consultation with its worldwide client base. Our key clients include analysts and traders in weather risk, energy, and agricultural markets. MDA EarthSat Weather is a business area within MDA Information Systems, Inc., a provider of essential geospatial data and analysis for decision making.

For more information, please contact:
Chris Hyde
MDA EarthSat Weather
Director, Weather Marketing
MDA Information Systems, Inc.
240-833-8322
christopher.hyde@mdaus.com