Weather

IRENE_0229

Warnique West, a sanitation foreman with the Department of Public Works, checks a resident's ID before letting him into the Deaprtment of Public Works Building in Southeast on Friday, Aug. 26, 2011 to pick up sandbags. District residents waited in long lines to pick up their five free sandbags. The Department of Public Works says they have 75,000 bags today and more coming tomorrow. They'll be distributing sandbags until midnight Friday and will start again at 8 a.m. Saturday morning. (Barbara L. Salisbury/The Washington Times)

IRENE_0228

A woman who did wish to be identified, tells a worker where top place sand bags at the restaurant Red Curry in Old Town Alexandria, Va, Friday, August 26, 2011. In a city which saw severe flooding during Hurricane Isabel in 2002, business owners and residents are wasting no time preparing for Hurricane Irene. (Rod Lamkey Jr./The Washington Times)

IRENE_0226

Alonzo McKelvin, an employee with the Department of Public Works, tosses sandbags into a pile so that they will be ready to go into residents' cars at the Department of Public Works in Southeast Washington, D.C., on Friday, Aug. 26, 2011. In preparation for Hurricane Irene, each District resident is entitled to five sandbags. The Department of Public Works says they have 75,000 bags today and more coming tomorrow. They'll be distributing sandbags until midnight Friday and will start again at 8 a.m. Saturday morning. (Barbara L. Salisbury/The Washington Times)

IRENE_0224

Boris Bulatovic an employee at Decorium on King Street in Old Town Alexandria, Va, Friday, August 26, 2011, writes a message on a sheet of protective plastic on the storefront. In a city which saw severe flooding during Hurricane Isabel in 2002, business owners and residents are wasting no time preparing for Hurricane Irene. (Rod Lamkey Jr./The Washington Times)

IRENE_0223

People grasp for sand bags from a city maintenance truck at the corner of King and N. Lee Streets in Old Town Alexandria, Va, Friday, August 26, 2011. In a city which saw severe flooding during Hurricane Isabel in 2002, business owners and residents are wasting no time preparing for Hurricane Irene. (Rod Lamkey Jr./The Washington Times)

KING_0202

As storm clouds hang in the sky above following a downpour of rain, tourists arrive to visit the newly built Martin Luther KIng Jr. National Memorial in Washington, D.C., Thursday, August 25, 2011. Though a lot of rain fell today, this storm is not believed to be connected to the approaching Hurricane Irene. (Rod Lamkey Jr./The Washington Times)

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As Hurricane Irene approaches the U.S. east coast, storm clouds hang in the sky above following a downpour of rain, the newly built Martin Luther KIng Jr. National Memorial stands tall against a darkening sky in Washington, D.C., Thursday, August 25, 2011. (Rod Lamkey Jr./The Washington Times)

STORM_10

A boarded up house is left with a message for Hurricane Irene in anticipation of her arrival in Nags Head, N.C., Thursday, Aug. 25, 2011 on North Carolina's Outer Banks. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center issued the first warnings for the entire North Carolina coast to the Virginia border. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

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Shoppers stock up on water from rapidly emptying shelves at a grocery store in Far Rockaway in New York. Mayor Michael Bloomberg urged New York City residents living in low-lying areas to line up a place to stay on high ground ahead of a possible evacuation this weekend due to Hurricane Irene. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

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A girl plays as water sprays over the sea wall in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene in Bahamas. Irene hit Nassau with tropical storm strength winds as it passed to the east. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

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A man stops to photograph a downed utility pole as Hurricane Irene passes in the Bahamas. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

STORM_03

Crew members of the guided missile destroyer Mason load food supplies aboard the ship early Thursday morning as the ship prepared to get underway ahead of approaching hurricane Irene. The U.S. Navy ordered more than 60 ships out to safer waters so they could better weather the storm. (AP Photo/TheVirginian-Pilot, Bill Tiernan)

STORM_02

A man walks along a seaside park as Hurricane Irene passes to the east of Nassau in the Bahamas. Irene is pounding the Bahamas as a Category 3 hurricane. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

STORM_01

Rob Auker boards up Souvenir City in Ocean City, Maryland as Hurricane Irene approaches on Thursday August 25, 2011. (AP Photo/The Daily Times, Eric Doerzbach) NO SALES

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Crew members of the guided-missile destroyer Mason load food supplies aboard the ship early Thursday as the ship prepared to depart Norfolk Naval Station ahead of approaching hurricane Irene. The U.S. Navy ordered more than 60 ships out to safer waters. (Associated Press)

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With a mandatory visitor evacuation in place with Hurricane Irene approaching, motorists head north Thursday on Highway 12 on Pea Island, N.C. (Associated Press)

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A boarded-up house is left with a message for Hurricane Irene in Nags Head on North Carolina's Outer Banks on Thursday. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center on Thursday issued the first warnings for the entire North Carolina coast to the Virginia border. (Associated Press)