New York to shut subway as hurricane nears

NEW YORK—New York authorities on Friday took the rare step of ordering a complete shutdown of the subway system as the city braces for the brute force of Hurricane Irene this weekend.

Governor Andrew Cuomo said that all trains and buses covered by New York’s Metropolitan Transit Authority would halt after starting their final runs from 12 pm (1600 GMT) Saturday.

Cuomo also said that major links into New York including the George Washington Bridge, which connects Manhattan and New Jersey, would be closed if winds exceed 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour), as is predicted.

Cuomo called the measures “one of the most aggressive activations of New York State government ever assembled in the face of a possible natural disaster.”

“We are fully committed and we are preparing for the worst,” he said in a statement.

Cuomo also said that up to 900 National Guard troops would be ready to support civil authorities and 2,500 workers from the Long Island Power Authority would be ready for emergency repair work and tree trimming, the largest ever such deployment.

Millions of Americans are bracing for Hurricane Irene, which is expected to smash Saturday into North Carolina before heading north toward New York.