reporter: during the 11-hour flight researchers released nearly a dozen highly sensitive probes called dropsons with gps built in. they call toward the ocean with a tiny parachute, relaying back vital information, including humidity, pressure, wind speed, and temperature. up front, the flight s commander, shane devlin, guides us through blinding clouds. everything you learn as a pilot, as an aviator out there, is to leave bad weather. and we do just the opposite. here in the cockpit we re go to show you something very pew feel ever see up close the hurricane s eye wall. we re now three minutes away, 15 miles from there. the wind speeds outside this aircraft are more than 100 miles per hour. minutes later, we finally enter the eye, and get our first glimpse of blue. below, those white capped waves are more than 30 feet high. the storm itself more than 200 miles long. they come in all shapes and sizes and this is a big one. this is a large wind field.
some cases, temperatures in the we re staying pro-active to this 60s. the carolinas will get hit by storm, getting things in place most likely a category 3 or very and ready to support the states when we get the impacts. strong 2. and one more thing, craig, we you can see the black center just had bill karins, nbc line. meteorologist just on talking it is really weakening until it about the sheer size of this gets past ocean city, maryland, storm. north carolina to maine. that s why we re expecting a devastating blow to the coast how big a challenge when there there. now, as far as the wave goes, are that many large population the wave action is going to be centers being affected by it, how big a challenge is that for incredible with this storm, such a big storm, so much mass and so fema and how are you guys working to handle that? just fema would be much potential energy that will be tossed into the waves. overwhelming. we have 18-foot waves now off but it s not just fema. we re t
i ll be breaking down the other regions including up in new england and new york city. i think everyone gets the idea here. we re looking at a storm that s about 36 hours, chris, of damaging wind and rain and surge from the carolinas northward. huge storm. thanks, bill, thanks for the update. the coast of north carolina will be irene s first u.s. victim. nbc s mark potter is in nags head, north carolina, and joins us now. mark? well, hi, chris. this morning it s pretty calm here actually, we want a little bit of cloud cover. the waves are up slightly. a little bit of wind. we don t have very much right now. but we re expecting to startgating rain later this afternoon into tonight and then we ll start feeling the bigger effects of the storm overnight and tomorrow. the very worst of the storm, we are told, will be upon us probably late tomorrow afternoon. it will be an event all day tomorrow, and into tomorrow night here. one of the biggest concerns, beside the wind and the effects o
danger. how serious do people need to know this storm is, and why do they need to go if they re in the evacuated areas? well, it s the storm surge, which, for a lot of people, is hard to explain. but think about this. it s not just the initial think about a tide with big blast from hurricane irene that waves coming in that doesn t go out and those waves are pounding forecasters are worried about. the slow moving storm threatens everything in its path. that s the problem in the to soak regions already dealing low-lying areas, that storm with an unusually wet summer. surge can be deadly. you don t get a second chance if nbc meteorologist bill karins is it s too late. back. and that s why you need to go bill, give us the latest on the early. and again we know there s going to be a lot of traffic and congestion as you evacuate these coastal communities. leave early and don t wait. if conditions deteriorate and storm s path and what that fallout might look like. you re not out of there,