Beaufort County leaders have issued a mandatory evacuation for all residents who live in low-lying areas of the county.

Pungo District Hospital isnow reopening after Irene.

Many are experiencing cable and power outages.There are multiple other ways to get WITN's continuous coverage, on the web and on the radio.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation's Ferry Division will begin suspending some operations after 8:30 p.m. tonight ahead of Hurricane Irene.

Marine helicopters from New River and jets at Seymour Johnson Air Force base were moved out of Irene's path.

East Carolina University is closing several parking lots because of the possibility of flooding from Hurricane Irene while ECU has set up a call center for concerned parents.

Carteret County has declared a state of emergency. All visitors were told to leave. Travel on the Atlantic Beach bridge and the Emerald Isle bridge was restricted at 8 p.m. Friday.

Progress Energy has released an update on its preparation for Hurricane Irene.

A mandatory evacuation and a State of Emergency has been issued for North Topsail Beach.

A voluntary evacuation has been issued for residents of the Pender County town of Topsail Beach.

Governor Beverly Perdue has also asked President Barack Obama to declare a pre-landfall emergency declaration to provide federal assistance for response efforts.

Hurricane Irene has tens of millions of people on the East Coast bracing for damage, but the origin of the name means quite the opposite of a monster storm.

A new tropical depression has formed far out over the Atlantic with forecasters saying it will likely become a tropical storm. It's another reminder we are in the heart of hurricane season.

The U.S. Navy has ordered the Second Fleet in Virginia to leave Norfolk Naval Station to keep the ships safe Hurricane Irene, which is approaching the East Coast.

Forecasters say Hurricane Irene that is taking aim at the East Coast could become a Category 4 monster by Thursday.

Lenoir Community College says the Red Cross has asked it to be on standby as a shelter location in Lenoir County.

Local leaders in one town are drawing on recent experience with natural disasters as they prepare for Irene.

As Hurricane Irene gets closer and closer to our coast some folks in Princeville, Edgecombe County can't help but get nervous.

Emergency managers say Pitt County is hosting many of the evacuees from Hyde County and could start opening shelters.

Students in many locations are headed back to school just as the threat of Hurricane Irene looms and school officials in Greene County are keeping a watchful eye after the middle school was destroyed in a tornado back in April.

One county here in the east is urging residents to take advantage of technology to keep up to date.

Some farmers in the east say they could use the rain from Hurricane Irene, but say flooding and heavy winds would be devastating to their crops.

As the exact path of Hurricane Irene is still uncertain, inland counties are in a wait and see game on what steps should be taken to ensure the safety of its residents.

Like many agencies across the east, the Kinston Department of Public Safety is getting ready for Hurricane Irene.

In this week's World of Weather we'll take a quick look at the possible wind and sea height predictions for the very strong Hurricane Irene.