Just to be clear, I am not one of those guys who says "I am staying to protect my house, no matter who says to evacuate". This is a big storm, and certainly should be taken with some seriousness, depending on where you are. I think that Donna is right that in our area, downed trees (and perhaps some flooding) are likely to be the major issues. On the other hand, the media knows that disasters are what sells. Do you remember the headlines from just 2 days ago: "Hurricane Irene: Prepare for a Category 4 'major hurricane'". Right now it is 85 mph, category 1.
