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White House: Obama ending vacation due to Irene

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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 –Ā 

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“http://www.ready.gov/” target=

“-blank”>http://www.ready.govĀ and

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“http://www.listo.gov/” target=

“-blank”>http://www.listo.govĀ .

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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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