Hurricane Irene Spins Along East Coast: Big Vid
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Aug. 26, 2011 -- In this video from NASA's GOES satellite, taken today, Hurricane Irene spins in on itself like an Olympic ice skater, giving rare insight into how an intense Category 3 storm forms.
Irene is whirling up the East Coast of the United States with sustained winds of up to 115 mph and higher gusts. It shows no signs of weakening until after crossing the Carolinas and the coast of Virginia. The hurricane is expected to approach the coast of North Carolina on Saturday, and move into the Washington, D.C. area overnight on Saturday.
NEWS: Track Hurricane Irene, and breaking news, here.
According to NOAA, this isn't the first Hurricane Irene to torment the Eastern Seaboard. Twelve years ago, another Irene attacked the Carolinas in a similar way, tracking parallel to the coastline. This year’s storm is the sixth time “Irene” has been used to name a tropical cyclone in the Atlantic. The first time was in 1959, NOAA said in a press release.
NEWS: What's in a Hurricane's Name?
The last time Irene made the rounds was in 2005, but she didn't come ashore.
Above is a GOES-8 image of the Hurricane Irene of 12 years ago, on Oct. 17, 1999, shown as a Category 1 storm. The day after this image was captured, Irene strengthened to Category 2 as it gathered strength from the Gulf Steam's warm waters.
PHOTOS: Bracing for Hurricane Irene
The 1999 Irene, like this year's Irene, spun up the East Coast, dumping heavy rains on the Carolinas and Chesapeake Bay regions.
--By Discovery News
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