Today, Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement urging New York residents to prepare for Hurricane Irene, which is projected to move up the Eastern shore by this weekend:

“In preparation for Hurricane Irene, I urge all residents in the state of New York as well as residents along the East Coast to take the necessary precautions.  While it is not certain, some weather services are predicting that Hurricane Irene could reach New York as early as Sunday.  For this reason, it is imperative that everyone in the region pay close attention to all warnings and gather essential items.

“According to the New York City of Office of Emergency Management (OEM), all New York City residents should find out ahead of time if they live in a hurricane evacuation zone.  They also recommend that residents prepare a “go bag” of essentials to allow for a rapid departure, if necessary.

“For more information on hurricane preparedness, please visit OEM’s website at http://www.nyc.gov/html/oem/html/home/home.shtml or click here to access New York City’s Hurricane Guide.”

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