by 2:00 a.m. sunday morning it will be situated along or just off the coast line, and ocean city or near ocean city. that will be affected by the conditions. here's a look at what to expect on saturday. starting the day cloudy, been becoming windy. rain will pick up in intensity by saturday evening. northeast winds increasing 30 miles an hour. saturday night windy a north wind at 30-45 with higher gusts especially the farther east of i-95. a storm surge of up to 3 feet. let's go to newschopper 7. there's an accident in local lanes southbound 270 at shady grove road. they have provided an overturned vehicle and it has been moved to the shoulder. both lanes are getting through. foggy this morning. back to you. >> thank you. it is the call before the storm right now. i've been will make landfall in north carolina tomorrow. when it does, this could be the strongest storm to to the east coast in seven years. if it stays on its current path, damages could climb into the billions. >> we have live team coverage this morning. philip stewart is live in alexandria with how our region is getting ready. but we begin with suzanne kennedy. >> evacuation orders are in place for portions of the east coast, including north carolina virginia, and maryland. i've been worked closer to the united states. more than 55 million people are in a lot of this novel category two storm. it hit the ball was on thursday. it is growing in size and danger, now stretching 1,000 miles wide. it is expecting to make landfall in north carolina with winds as high as 110 miles an hour. -- it hit the bahamas on thursday. >> our windows are rated for 130 miles an hour. i hope it's true. >> i hope people need the warnings. it is hard for folks who have small businesses to leave but everybody should take this very seriously. >> the storm will bring powerful wind drenching rain, and massive flooding. it could be its strongest to strike the east coast in seven years. live in the newsroom, suzanne kennedy, abc 7 news. >> in ocean city, maryland, everyone except emergency personnel is being ordered to evacuate by 5:00 this afternoon. powerful wind, to run to win and beach erosion are expected. 600 international students with summer jobs in ocean city are being evacuated. clemson university is providing refuge. >> laurel is not evacuated. there have been some fake robocalls telling people to leave because of irene. the calls began at 6:30 last night at two apartment complexes. residents should ignore those calls. you don't need to evacuate. officers are working to track down the source of the plprank. amtrak is canceling a number of trains heading south of washington today through sunday. airlines are canceling flights and moving airplanes. check with your airline if you plan to fly over the next couple days. >> people living in low-lying areas, waterfront restaurants metro, pepco, everyone is getting ready for whenever mother nature throws our way. philip stewart is live in alexandria with a look at hurricane preparations locally. he is in old town. >> even if we get moderate rain, it has been known to flood in this part of old town. you can imagine people are gearing up and taking precautions. later this morning they will be handing out sandbags on king street near the waterfront as well as several locations in maryland as well as in the district as the region gears up for this big storm. with hurricane irene fast approaching this morning, crews in alexandria are bracing to clear the storm drains and sewers ahead of the storm. shoppers are stocking up on supplies. >> scandals, matches, stuff like that. we might lose power. >> generator water flashlights, paper plates. >> i really could bring waves more than a dozen feet high to the eastern store. content island, voters are not taking chances. 50 boats are being pulled from the water today after dozens of them yesterday. in the district, pepco is bringing in hundreds of out of state crews to help. >> this is hurricane strength trees knocked over, pulls comedown, service goes out. -- poles come down. let's metro will also being placing sandbags at key locations throughout the metro system to prevent any flooding. we will be tracking this throughout the day. live in alexandria, philip stewart, abc 7. >> stay with abc 7 on and on line for continuing coverage of hurricane irene. coming up next half-hour or, how the storm threat is the lingua been dates for some local schools. many kids getting a late start this year. >> so many changes. we have 68 degrees on this friday. >> still ahead the redskins come up short against the ravens. still no word on who will be starting at center. and another day off for some suburban students. >> keeping an eye on hurricane irene. this is a look at north carolina. we will have more co i am kathy at the reptile discovery center at the national zoo. this is a northern pine snake. come and meet a friendly new face. good morning, washington. coming up 1 6:10on 6:10. adam caskey in the belfort furniture weather center. some areas of rain in the and st. mary's county and approaching calvert county. 72 in the district now. otherwise, we are in the 60's in most outlying areas. partly cloudy today. 88 is the high temperature with a few late-day showers. here's what you can expect in terms of wave heights. a storm surge of about 1 foot to 3 feet in our waters because we are on the nicer side of the storm. they're expecting 14 feet or 15 feet at ocean city. by tomorrow evening and saturday night is when we will have the worst of the storm we will have the heaviest rain bands moving through at that time, especially locally and east of the metro area and 95. the farther east of the metro the heavier the rain will be and the wind shear id will be farther east of the metro area. expect wind gusts saturday night in the 50's. -- 30-45 miles an hour with higher gusts. >> vre, metro will running on normal service systemwide. up to the 14th street bridge, there was a minor crash northbound 395 at the exit that would carry you on to the george washington parkway. if you wanted to access the memorial bridge, the traffic is right there in the safety zone after the accident. we will take you to 95 between richmond and baltimore giving you the green light. that means no more trouble time. pretty well on 66, the greenway, the toll road, and 270. an accident at shady grove road has been moved to the shoulder. still moving at speed in the haze. an emotional tribute to a navy seal killed in afghanistan. >> ♪ >> john was one of four americans who died when their helicopter was shot down earlier this month. 1500 people attended this funeral in ottawa touching aspects of the event right here was his dog who appeared to know that his master was gone. -- in iowa. >> animals, we don't give them enough credit sometimes. quite a bond. 68 degrees on this friday. coming up, two major figures in the world of finance of weighing in on the economy. >> president bush looks back on one of his darkest days in office woman: day care can be expensive. so to save some money, i unund one that uses robots instead of real people. 'cuz robots work for free. robot 1:good morning... robot 1:...female child. sfx: modem dial-up noise woman: are there flaws? yeah, um, maybe. anncr: therenc an easier way save. anncr: get online. go to geico.com. get a quote. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. much of the east coast is under state of emergency. hurricane irene moves closer to the u.s. mandatory evacuation orders are in effect for parts of north carolina maryland, and virginia. the storm is expected to make landfall in north carolina before moving up the eastern seaboard. the d.c. region is not taking any chances. crews are cleaning the source and districts and baxter residents. the stores are packed as people stocked up on emergency supplies. utility companies are preparing for possible power outages. new clashes broke out in the libyan capital between rebels and forces loyal to libyan leader moammar gaddafi. his whereabouts are still not known. rebel leaders say that there into a government will move its headquarters to tripoli. hurricane irene is delaying the dedication of the martin luther king jr. memorial. the ceremony was supposed to take place on sunday, officials announced last night the event will be held sometime in september or october. the memorial project president says that he made the decision when he saw these updated retain forecasts. >> in concern for public safety, we don't want chairs fly. we are expecting wind. in the words of dr. king, "we must accept the finite disappointment, but never lose in sowefinite hope." >> the more you will be open to the public tomorrow from 7:00 a.m. thru noon. condespite the postponement of the dedication ceremony, our memorial special will air tonight as scheduled. "dedicating the dream" tonight at 8:00 on abc 7. >> that should be good. is coast oil refineries are closed in advance of hurricane irene. and others are likely to close. it's boosting gasoline prices. gas prices jumped 21 cents a gallon two years ago in a daze as a retained by swept through the calexico. we have-- the gulf of mexico. the washington monument will remain closed indefinitely. officials say the damage is more significant than first thought. the national cathedral will be shut down until at least september 4. officials have not found any more damage there and they said the building is still structurally sound. for students in prince george's county this morning six schools are still closed after tuesday's earthquake. beltsville academy, bradbury heights elementary, port town elementary potomac heights school, suitland elementary, and foresthill military academy. the complete list on our website, wjla.com. this friday morning just weeks before the 10th anniversary of the september 11 attacks, former president george w. bush is talking about what happened that day in an interview with the national geographic channel. he described what he was thinking when he found out that airplanes flew into the world trade center. >> obviously, i was horrified like everybody else. unlike everybody else, i had adopted to at that moment. the first thing as the leader of an organization or state or country has to projects calm. >> the president was visiting a florida elementary school when he learned that america was under attack. george w. bush will be on this sunday on the national geographic channel. what everyone remembers where they were at that time. a major update from the federal chairman and warren buffett buys bank of america. >> topping america's money waiting for ben bernanke. the markets this week have been cautious ahead of the federal reserve chairman's speech today at a conference in wyoming. investors have been speculating whether he will announce any monetary stimulus measures. warren buffett is bullish on the bank of america that he is investing $5 billion in. he says the financial giant is a strong well-led company. bankamerica shares of lost half their value in the past year. hurricane irene is likely to force airlines to cancel hundreds of flights and create delays across the country. however, most airlines are waiting to see if they will change flights -- are waiving the fees for changing flights. the cadillac escalade is the most stolen vehicle in the last three years. >> with take a look at traffic and weather every ten minutes. tell us what we need to know this weekend. >> expect heavy rainfall and gusty wind saturday night is when it will be the worst. >> i will be here working saturday night. >> it looks like the farther east you go, the metro area/95, with or you will get the heavy rain accumulations, and gusty wind. the eastern shore by sunday afternoon will likely have 8 inches up to 11 inches of rain from this hurricane. whereas locally it will be widespread in terms of rainfall accumulation. lesser amounts west of the metro. tayra amounts east of the metro. locally, probably we will see anywhere from two inches up to 5 inches of rain. -- greater amounts east of the metro for. hurricane irene is moving north at 10 miles an hour. we have a tropical storm warning in effect for our region mainly for saturday night. if that is when we will see the worst effects from this storm system. the latest path still takes it up the east coast making landfall on the outer banks about 2:00 p.m. tomorrow. that will go right up the coast line and possibly centering over ocean city, right over the eastern shore. looks like it will be a little off shore. not much has changed in this forecast track. that will be 2:00 a.m. sunday. the center of the storm due east of the metro area. in terms of wave heights, not expecting much locally. saturday at 1:00 p.m., up to 3 feet. a strong surge of 1 foot to 3 feet at the potomac. rain tomorrow afternoon with a northeast wind increasing still 30 miles an ahour by the afternoon. heavy rain and high wind gusts saturday night. sunday morning rain. gusty wind will quickly subsided. traffic spotted on the interstate. it was a publication on 270 southbound at shady grove road, but that has been taken care of. -- there was an accident. 395 northbound at the beginning of the 14th street bridge, the accident was at the exit for the memorial bridge. that accident is gone. just a little slow traffic. you are able to access the exit for the bridge. on your way to the douglas bridge towards the nationals park in down suitland parkway a traffic forced to exit at first sterling avenue and forced to go north to the scene 295. back to you. >> thank you. for people travelling by air, it is important to note the some airlines are waiving the change fees. if you have the option to fly today, that might be your best bet. get out before the storm. 6:22 68 degrees. >> up next on this friday morning another chapter in the quarterback battle. and last night's ravens battle of the beltway. >> today on "oprah," a guest who change to the show forever, 4:00 and abc 7. [ male announcer ] you love the taste of 2% milk. but think about your heart. 2% has over half the saturated fat of whole milk. want to cut back on fat and not compromise on taste? try smart balance fat free milk. it's what you'd expect from the folks at smart balance. welcome back. 6:25. d.c. residents will spend another day getting ready for hurricane irene. the local government and utility officials will talk about where things stand with the massive storm. and what they're doing to get ready and what you should do to get prepared for retain. the virginia health department is expected to unveil new regulations for abortion clinics. they would take effect on delaware first, if approved. abortion-rights supporters say that the regulations could force most clinics in the state to close. a notice will talk about where things stand with the investigation into the flash mob robbery at a germantown seven eleven store. 25 people simultaneously walked into a store on august 13 and then stole snacks and drinks. many of them have been identified from the surveillance video. let's talk sports. the redskins played a very good game last night but it was not enough to stop the baltimore ravens. >> it was disappointing. rex grossman and john beck each threw a touchdown pass. the reagans made a late comeback win, 34-31. they take on the tampa bay buccaneers next thursday. -- the redskins made a late comeback victory. we still have another half-hour of "good morning washington" ahead. >> we will check out "don't be afraid of the dark." arch campbell has a look at whether that will be a good movie this weekend. >> and irene has her sights set on the coastal united states. i am suzanne kennedy. that story's coming up. >> that will brush along the coastline and that will impact our weather saturday night. tropical storm warning. okay, you're the good cop. i'm the bad cop. look, it's still a great time to refinance. listen up, buster! we're not gonna pay any closing fees. i'd do what she says, friend. i can't control her. well, it's the "no closing fee refinance," so we pick up the closing fees. oh, you're gonna pick up the closing fees? yes. on average that's $3,300 at closing. [ both ] thirty-three hundred?! that's a lot of donuts. [ male announcer ] visit capital one bank today to refinance your mortgage and we'll pick up, on average $3,300 at closing. what's in your wallet? i'm good. live and in hd, this is "good morning washington," on your side. >> straight ahead we are tracking hurricane irene. high waves started hitting the outer banks of north carolina this morning. we have a live report coming up shortly. good morning, washington. it's friday, august 26. a very busy morning around here. i am cynne simpson. >> rise and shine, i am pamela brown. first, hurricane irene. these coast is already feeling the impact. maryland virginia, and four other states have declared states of an emergency. president obama had declared an emergency in north carolina. sunday oppose the plan dedication ceremony for the martin luther king national memorial is postponed -- sunday's planned dedication. >> meteorologist adam caskey has been tracking the storm. >> tell us what we need to know for the next few days. >> the worst part of the store for us will be mainly in the metro area along and east of 95. the farther east, conditions will steadily get worse and worse. meaning heavy rainfall and high wind. this morning on live triple doppler 7, a few showers in st. mary's county, crossing into st. calvert county. a few more thunderstorms later this afternoon. the red shaded area includes our metro area. up and down 95 anti's word is when we have the tropical storm warning. within that area this is what you can expect. on saturday, cloudy, becoming rainy by the afternoon. the rain will intensify into the evening and night time. the winds will increase to about 30 miles an alibi sunset on saturday. saturday night while you're sleeping, expect tropical storm force winds at 35-45 miles an hour sustained with higher gusts and very heavy rainfall at times. on sunday the wind will begin to diminish by the midday. expects sunshine eventually by the afternoon after the morning rain showers. not much to discuss in virginia. 66 95, 395. there was an earlier accident northbound 395 of the 14th street bridge, but that's gone. the headlights are northbound at springfield. next, the beltway is moving well on the allen lew banner hampshire ave. there was an accident in southeast. the suitland parkway at first sterling avenue before the exit for nationals park and 295 one lane getting by to the left. metro will is on normal service. back to you. >> thank you. we are tracking the latest developments with hurricane irene, taking aim at the u.s. coast. the alta banks are seeing high waves and swells as the storm approaches. >> millions of bracing for the storm's impact. we have live team coverage this morning as people in our area prepare for irene. we begin with suzanne kennedy in the newsroom with the latest on the path. >> good morning. people are leaving their vacations and boarding up homes as we are about one day away from ibm making landfall in the united states. -- irene making landfall. it went through the bahamas before turning toward the coastal u.s. profit storm is packing winds and 115 miles an hour and has its sights set on the coastal united states. it is expected to make all -- to make landfall saturday on the north bcarolina outer banks. >> i know it's hard for people will have small businesses to leave, but everybody should take this very seriously. >> residents are securing their property before leaving. >> our windows are rated for 130 miles an hour. i hope that is true. one way to test that and i don't. want to don't. >> in atlantic beach the coast guard is taking no chances. >> people don't realize the strength of hurricane winds. light objects become missiles. >> watches and warnings have been posted up and down the eastern seaboard. president obama has declared a state of uncertainty and for north carolina in advance of the storm. that frees up federal resources to help respond to the retain. suzanne kennedy, abc 7 news. >> thank you so much. there's an evacuation order that took effect at midnight in ocean city, maryland. the mayor wants everyone except for britain's personnel to be out of their by 5:00 this evening. the lines along at gas stations last night as people prepared to get out of town. many people boarded up their property before hitting the road. >> university of maryland at students are being offered moving in today or monday or tuesday. george washington and georgetown have similar plans. george mason university is encouraging students to drive whenever they can. the martin luther king memorial unveiling there will be inconvenience. a number of trains are canceled heading south of washington this weekend. airlines are canceling flights as hurricane irene moves closer to the east coast. tech with your airline. change fees are being waived in many cases. -- check with your airline. >> people across the d.c. area are getting ready. paula crews are busy and home owners are making plans to deal with heavy rain and strong wind. philip stewart is live in alexandria with more on preparations for the storm. looking good now, but not the case later this weekend. >> exactly. this area is so prone to flooding. even when we get moderate rain, a lot of the businesses along a waterfront get flooded frequently. they will be handing out sandbags in old town later this morning. this is just one part of the reason gearing up for the storm. sandbags will be handed out in maryland as well as the district. crews were cleaning up storm drains yesterday to help prevent flooding. on the eastern shore they could see waves above 12 feet high. a little farther inland, on kent island yesterday, dozens of boats were being pulled from the water. they will be pulling as many as 40 or 50 more out of the water there today. we should also mention that pepco crews will be bringing in some out of state crews to assist with cleanup or repairs that they need to do throughout and after the storm. one other note about sandbags, that's related to metro. metro will place sandbags at what they are calling key locations throughout the system to help prevent any potential flooding. we will be tracking this throughout the day and likely throughout the weekend. alive in alexandria, philip stewart. >> thank you. be sure to stay with abc 7 on- air and online of continuing coverage of the storm. a dream delayed. >> so many people in town for the martin luther king memorial. we had an earthquake earlier in the week. it's not like this yehere. >> it has been crazy. >> it is 68 degrees. >> coming up, picking up the pieces from the east coast earthquakes. two d.c. landmarks shutdown and still no school. >> even the movies look scary this weekend. the captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- welcome back. 6:41. adam caskey in the belfort furniture weather center. let's talk about i mean and what to expect. first, a few showers this morning. friday morning in st. mary's county or southern maryland, pushing to the north and east and the lower bay. 88 is the high temperature partly cloudy. a few thundershowers in the afternoon and evening, very isolated. d.c. and surrounding counties along and east of 95, under a tropical storm warning. the biggest effects will be saturday night. this includes the metro area. gray skies on saturday. becoming windy by the afternoon. the rain will intensify into the night. the wind will increase to 30 miles an hour by sunset on saturday, then increasing sustained at about 35-45 during the night on saturday. there will be higher gusts as well. i would not be surprised if we lose some trees here and there. be prepared for power outages. on sunday, some morning rain and afternoon sunshine, the north been decreasing starting at 30 and steadily dropping through the dead. not bad in terms of storm surge along the shore about 1 foot up to 3 feet. >> we are filling up the tab with water and we have an excellent innovator in case we lose power. we are freezing a lot of ice in the freezer dustin case. be prepared. we are prepared to get through southern maryland and southeast. an accident before the dog was bridge is moved out of the way. 95/virginia, in good shape out of fredericksburg to springfield. 66 is a good run. a little traffic to manassas and getting into centreville. we are open at the american legion bridge. -- an accident before the douglass bridge has been looked out of the way. >> we will be back thousands of people have packed up and fled the outer banks. rafael nadis in north carolina. president obama declared a state of emergency there. what are conditions looking like now? >> it is a very beautiful morning. a few clouds. i saw a couple of tourists walking by and taking pictures. this situation will change dramatically in the next 48 hours. officials here in north carolina specifically on the outer banks say that hurricane irene will make landfall here sometime on saturday afternoon. we will start feeling some effect as early as today. they are specifically worried about a storm surge of several feet that will be devastating for the shoreline for property houses buildings, all located right here next to the beach. so that is the situation. the governor has declared a state of emergency in 39 counties, mainly in the eastern portion of north carolina. officials are making sure that there are shelters open and that people know about them. they are making transportation available for those who need it. officials are getting ready for this massive hurricane. back to you. >> thank you. let's hope people there are heeding those warnings. because of hurricane irene the dedication of the martin luther king jr. memorial will be delayed. the ceremony was supposed to be held on sunday. president obama was scheduled to speak there. officials announced last night that the event will now take place sometime in september or october. the memorial project president said that he made the decision when he saw updated hurricane forecasts. >> in concern for public safety, we don't want terraced line. we are expecting some wind. in the words of dr. king, "we must accept the finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope." >> appears service will take place today as scheduled at the washington convention center. all other events have been cancelled. the memorial will be open to the public tomorrow from 7:00 a.m. until noon. >> many people have been coming to town for the dedication. our abc 7 martin luther king special has not been postponed. be sure to watch "dedicating the dream" tonight on abc 7 at 8:00. two landmarks will stay closed while crews fix the damage from tuesday's earthquake. the washington monument is closed indefinitely. the damage there is more significant than they first thought. and the national cathedral will be closed until at least september 4. they found more damage there. officials are saying that the building appears to be structurally sound. we have a quick notes for students in prince george's county. six schools are still closed after tuesday's earthquake. beltsville academy, a very high school -- bradbury high-heights elementary, a port town elementary, potomac heights school, school and elementary, foresthill military academy. find a complete list on our website wjla.com. adam caskey has been tracking the weather. right now things are pretty calm but that could change rapidly. >> things could change rapidly. i just got off the phone with the national weather service. we have the latest information and the wind hazards. one thing we need to keep in mind is we have fairly saturated soil from the downpours in the days and weeks passed. we are going to have more rain on top of that. when you have saturated soil, the trees can topple a little easier. it does not take as much of a wind gust as dry soil would to hold the roots in place. i anticipate some power outages. some of us lose power easily. anticipate that and be prepared. here's a tip that i give people in terms of power outages especially those with children. ever tried to change a diaper in the dark with a flashlight? it's not easy. i headlamp -- a headlamp. >> . too-- it is not too late. >> yes you can get those. flashlights are better than candles, also. because candles can cause fires. to look like a.m. on the eastern shore, saturday night into early sunday -- to apply a.m. -- 2:00 a.m. on the eastern shore is when we will have the worst weather. we could have tropical storm force winds in the red-shaded areas. the tropical storm warning for those areas. the potomac highlands and shenandoah valley, it will not be as bad. the farther east of 95, it gets worse. gray skies to start the day on saturday becoming windy by the afternoon. the rain will intensify saturday night as well as the wind. sustained a 35-45 miles an hour with higher gusts. on sunday we will start the day with a few showers and will still be gusty sunday morning. after sunrise, conditions will improve quickly. wave heights of 1 ft. to 3 feet in the bay and lower potomac. now to lisa baden. the suitland parkway crash is gone at first sterling avenue. tso traffic getting through. virginia traffic northbound 395, 14th street bridge, moving nicely. prepared to be frightened of the dark >> good morning. your weekend movie guide with arch campbell. katie moves into a creek dimension in "don't be afraid of the dark." creatures in the basement whispered to the little girl to come down. this thriller looks great moves fast, and sent a chill up my spine. 3 stars, rated r. keep the lights on tonight. >> also opening, an idiot brother 2.5 stars. four stars for "the help" and "harry potter" and "midnight in paris." 2.5 stars for "attack the block" and "rise of the apes" and "is the brother -- idiot brother." now to lisa baden to find out what's going on with the roadways. >> a crash on southbound 270 after falls road. inbound to your capital crash of a way to the third street tunnel involving a police car. suitland parkway delays will carry you from the douglass bridge to branch avenue. but the accident there is gone. along and east of 95, this is the forecast. that's where conditions will be the worst. becoming windy by the afternoon and evening on saturday. the worst will be saturday night with winds at 35-45 sustained but gusting higher. the farther east of '95, the stronger the wind. all this will taper off on sunday morning. as we go to next week, sunshine and beautiful. but tomorrow night will keep a close eye on this. >> you said you'd get me on the field. i did get you on the f fld. you are brian orakpo all-pro linebacker surely you can do better than this. come on sunshine. it's game time. squad's waiting. this is embarrassingririan. they've got me on e e bottom of the pyramid. you know wha