Hurricane Irene Less Than 500 Miles Away from D.C.

Update 6:57 p.m.

All Saturday activities canceled for Prince George's County Public Schools.

Update 6:37 p.m.

This just in from the National Weather Service: The center of Hurricane Irene was 500 miles south of Washington at 5 p.m. Friday. That means the storm traveled 70 miles in five hours.

It remains as a Category 2 storm with 100 mile an hour winds.

Update 5:38 p.m.

The top of The Weather Channel website reads "Hurricane Irene: Assault on East Coast Begins."

The National Weather Services has warned the area that it's time to rush to before the tropical storm conditions reach our area.

If you have friends and family members in east Maryland, offer up a place to stay. for Somerset, Dorchester, Wicomico and Worcester counties. The Bay Bridge is likely to close Saturday evening.

 inland residents should take precautions as well.

will provide updates to residents through the WSSC website, local media and social media. WSSC recommends stowing at least a gallon a day per person (more if you have pets).

for how to handle power outages, and safety precautions for using a generator. You might want to read these, as Pepco and the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company are both preparing for widespread outages.

The University of Maryland Information Alert system warned College Park that traffic could be impacted by today's student dormitory move in. The possible move-in window was expanded to include today, due to Hurricane Irene.

Update 3:36 p.m.

There is still just a 30 percent chance of precipitation late afternoon, and it will drop to 20 percent this evening.

Although at 2:36 p.m., the Doppler Radar detected a developing shower near Andrews Air Force Base traveling north, College Park was not listed as a location likely to be affected.

At noon today, the center of Hurricane Irene was located 570 miles south of Washington, traveling about 90 miles, or about 15 miles an hour, in the previous six hours.

Update, 10:18 a.m.

The scattered thunderstorms and showers originally forecasted for after noon today have pushed to after 3 p.m. There is still only a 30 percent chance of precipitation throughout today.

At 9:42 a.m., Hurricane Irene was approaching  the Outer Banks in North Carolina, though the center of the storm is still south in the Atlantic.

College Park city staff will be on call all weekend to receive reports of downed trees and blocked roads.

College Park Patch has a list of tips for residents to prepare for tropical storm conditions. Some of them aren't so obvious.

Follow @CollegePrkPatch on Twitter for updates of Hurricane Irene's progress and conditions in College Park. Search #HurricanePatch on Twitter for updates from all Patches along the East Coast.

Original story, 7:33 a.m.

Another tropical storm warning was issued for the area at 6:32 a.m. Friday as Hurricane Irene continues to roll toward the East Coast.

It's with lessened intensity than Thursday night, though.

and Irene was downgraded overnight to a high-end category 2 hurricane but is expected to return to a category 3 storm again later Friday, according to The Weather Channel.

The NWS also issued a flash flood watch for portions of the Washington Metropolitan area and southern Maryland.

College Park Forecast

In College Park, the National Weather Service calls for scattered showers and thunderstorms after noon today. There's a chance of thunderstorms before 11 p.m., with a 30 percent chance of precipitation all day.

Tropical storm conditions are possible for College Park on Saturday, with a thunderstorm likely after 2 p.m. Winds will reach between 25 and 30 miles per hour with wind gusts as high as 36 miles per hour. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.

Wind speeds are expected to increase Saturday evening to between 30 and 40 miles per hour with gusts as high as 45 miles per hour. One to two inches of rain could fall on College Park Saturday evening.

Storm conditions could continue into Sunday, but with lessened wind speeds.

Irene's Path

The center of the storm was about 660 miles south of Washington at 6 a.m. Friday, according to the NWS. That means it , or about 13.3 miles per hour according to those numbers.

Irene is expected to first make landfall on the East Cost late Saturday morning or early Saturday afternoon in North Carolina as a borderline category 2 or 3 hurricane, before heading north, reports The Weather Channel.

Preparedness

The expected wind speeds for the area could cause minor damage to older mobile homes, according to the NWS, and recommends moving loose items such as garbage cans and lawn furniture indoors. Newly planted or young trees and shrubs could be uprooted. Isolated power outages will be possible.

Tips for preparing for a hurricane are available on the FEMA website.