UPDATE: Katia develops in far eastern Atlantic; forecast to become second hurricane
UPDATE: Tropical Storm Jose quickly forms as Irene continues to impact the East Coast
The much anticipated East Coast Hurricane Irene has made landfall in North Carolina, according to the National Hurricane Center.
As a much weaker category one hurricane, Irene moved onshore near Cape Lookout between 730 am and 8 am EDT with sustained 85 mph winds.
This is the first United States hurricane landfall in nearly three years and or since Hurricane Ike made landfall on the Texas coast back on September 13, 2008.
Hurricane Irene remains a very large tropical cyclone with a wind field that spans 260 miles outward from the center of the storm.
It is forecast to continue to track toward the north northeast near 14 mph over the next 24 hours with the center of Irene moving across the remainder of Eastern North Carolina and the Mid-Atlantic coast by tonight with further progress over southern New England on Sunday.
Hurricane Warnings remain in effect from Little River Inlet, North Carolina northward to Nantucket, Massachusetts.
Along Irene track, excessive heavy rainfall accumulations of 6 to 10 inches with isolated maximum amounts of 15 inches are likely along with 4 to 8 feet storm surges. In addition, isolated tornadoes are possible.
Possible tornado damage has already been reported across parts of Eastern North Carolina from embedded storms in the Irene's rain-bands.
While the Gulf Coast Region has escaped Irene's wrath, the hurricane threat to Mississippi and surrounding areas typically increases dramatically into early September.
The National Hurricane Center is expecting up to a total of 19 named storms to form in the Atlantic Basin by season ends November 30th with seven to 10 becoming hurricanes. Irene is the ninth named storm, which has made this one of the rare hurricane seasons on record.
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