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VINEYARD HAVEN, Mass. (AP) — Urging everyone in Hurricane Irene’s
path to prepare, President Barack Obama decided to cut his vacation
short Friday and return to the White House for a storm he described
as potentially historic.
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White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the president would leave
Martha’s Vineyard a day early, on Friday evening, because it would
be prudent to be in Washington as Irene strikes the Eastern
Seaboard.
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Earnest said the president told staff of his decision shortly after
urging the millions of Americans in the path of the hurricane to
heed instructions from state and local officials, especially if
directed to evacuate.
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“Don’t wait, don’t delay,” Obama said. The storm was set to rake
the coastline from North Carolina to New England over the
weekend.
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The president, speaking from his vacation rental, said the federal
government is “bringing all federal resources to bear” in
response.
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“I cannot stress this highly enough, if you are in the projected
path of this hurricane you have to take precautions now,” the
president said.
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Illustrating government preparations, Earnest said that the
administration conducted a national exercise to test emergency
preparedness in 2009. He said the exercise included a simulated
hurricane that struck New York city. He said the president
participated in that exercise.
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Though Martha’s Vineyard is in Irene’s path, Earnest said that
Obama’s decision to return to Washington Friday was not made out of
worry about his personal safety. Earnest said it was uncertain
whether first lady Michelle Obama and the couple’s two daughters,
Sasha and Malia, would join the president or return to the capital
Saturday as originally planned.
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Obama said he had been briefed on Irene’s status Friday morning by
top federal officials. He said he also talked to governors of
states and mayors of communities in the expected hurricane path,
including mayors Michael Bloomberg of New York and Michael Nutter
of Philadelphia.
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Warnings were in effect from North Carolina to New
Jersey.
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As the president spoke, rains from Irene’s outer bands began
hitting the Carolinas, along with 6- to 9-foot waves. On Martha’s
Vineyard, though, Obama stood in the shade of a poplar tree outside
a gray-shingled cottage. Otherwise it was bright sunshine, not a
cloud in the sky.
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Obama has been in Martha’s Vineyard since Aug. 18.
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The president, in his remarks Friday morning, cited two government
web sites, one in English and one in Spanish, that provide advice
on how to prepare for emergencies – “text-decoration: none; color: #000066;” href=
“http://www.ready.gov/” target=
“-blank”>http://www.ready.gov “http://www.listo.gov/” target=
“-blank”>http://www.listo.gov
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He said the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been deploying
teams up and down the East Coast along Irene’s projected path. The
agency has millions of liters of water, millions of meals and tens
of thousands of cots and blankets positioned along the Eastern
Seaboard, he said.
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The American Red Cross has been preparing shelters in North
Carolina and other states, he said.
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He cautioned that it would take time for first responders to begin
rescue operations and get resources to people in need.
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“So the more you can do to be prepared now, making a plan, make a
supply kit , know your evacuation route, follow instructions of
your local officials, the quicker we can focus our resources after
the storm on those who need help the most,” he said.
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“All indications point to this being a historic
hurricane.”
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Two years ago, Obama’s first vacation on Martha’s Vineyard as
president was delayed by Hurricane Bill.
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