NEW YORK—More than a million people have been evacuated from New Jersey’s coastline ahead of Hurricane Irene’s expected arrival later Saturday, state Governor Chris Christie said.
“Over a million people” have obeyed an evacuation order and gone inland, including 98 percent of the population of Cape May, an isolated point in the path of the hurricane, Christie told a televised news conference.
He said the gambling resort of Atlantic City risked taking a serious pounding and that a last-ditch effort would be made to persuade some 600 elderly people still there to leave.
“We’re making one last run in Atlantic City to try to convince these folks that in fact they need to go,” Christie said, adding that no one would be arrested or otherwise forced.
In his trademark blunt style, Christie on Friday told holidaymakers on the popular coast to “get the hell off the beach.”
Irene was expected to hit the urban New Jersey and New York area during the night, reaching full force Sunday, before moving north.