Hurricane Irene’s maximum sustained winds have dropped to 105 mph, the National Hurricane Center reported Friday morning.

The U.S. East Coast is bracing itself for the storm’s arrival, but the center now says it does not expect Hurricane Irene to strengthen before it hits the East Coast.

The hurricane is now a Category 2 storm with winds of 96 mph to 110 mph, which does not present as big of a threat of damage as previously touted. Winds of that speed are of course considered very dangerous though, and certainly capable of causing widespread destruction. more >>

Several counties in North Carolina have been busy preparing for hurricane Irene, which is in the direct path of the southeastern state.

North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue issued a state of emergency Wednesday night for counties east of I-95. She has also requested a pre-landfall emergency declaration from President Barack Obama to ensure that the state will be provided with federal assistance in conjunction with relief efforts.

“Hurricane Irene poses a significant threat to our state and we need to take appropriate action to ensure the safety of our residents and visitors, along with property and infrastructure along our coast,” she told the Gaston Gazette. more >>

NEW YORK – As Hurricane Irene approaches, Brooklyn residents are preparing for mass evacuations, as hospitals and nursing homes have already begun moving patients to safer areas of the city.

The New York City government has categorized areas of Brooklyn into how much risk is posed by the hurricane, with “Zone A” being the highest. A total of five hospitals and eight nursing homes are in Zone A and those facilities are contacting families of patients and working with the NYC Office of Emergency Management to move their residents into safer areas.

Finding proper locations and helping patients adjust to the changes in a medical environment are among the challenges in moving thousands of people in need of medical assistance. more >>

Hurricane Irene is taking over the East Coast and warning evacuations have now expanded into New York and Connecticut.

The storm, which has already pounded the Bahamas, has taken a “turn for the worst” and is now being forecast as moving westward to the U.S. mainland.

Other East Coast areas along North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and New Jersey have already been told to evacuate with hundreds of thousands of people moving to safety. more >>

Divorce rates in the United States are at an all-time high. The highest rates of divorce are now happening to couples living in the South, a new report by the U.S. Census said.

By a stark contrast, men and women living in the Northeast had the lowest rates of divorce.

This is the first time the U.S. Census issued a report like this aimed at describing detailed characteristics of marital events among Americans ages 15 and older. more >>

The magnitude 5.8 earthquake that originated in Virginia on Tuesday caused only minor damages and moderate inconveniences in our nation's capital compared to other earthquakes that the world has witnessed recently. But now those in Washington, D.C., are bracing themselves and wondering what impact hurricane Irene will have on the city.

The earthquake caused damage to a number of buildings in the nation's capital. The Washington Monument was closed indefinitely on Wednesday while engineers look for ways to repair the iconic structure.

"The Washington Monument is one of America's most important landmarks and we will do whatever it takes to ensure that it is restored completely and correctly,” said Robert A. Vogel, Superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks, in a statement on Tuesday. more >>