Politics & Government

Hurricane Irene: Gov. Declares State of Emergency at Jersey Shore

National Guard mobilized.

Gov. Chris Christie has declared a state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Irene just before 1 p.m. today, urging a voluntary evacuation of shore areas.

He urged tourists to abandon their plans for a weekend trip to the Jersey Shore and for residents to instead immediately focus on hurricane preparedness.

The forecast track of Hurricane Irene will cause significant impacts regardless of its exact course, forecasters from the National Hurricane Center warned in an update released at 11 a.m. Thursday.

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The state of emergency mobilizes the National Guard to address the hurricane preparedness.


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