The National Hurricane Center's latest forecast
Suffolk County and Town of Smithtown officials met over a teleconference on Thursday morning to discuss hurricane preparations.
Local residents are heading to supermarkets and hardware stores to stock up on essentials such as bottled water, flashlights and batteries.
Patch asks: What are you doing to prepare for Hurricane Irene? Do you think the storm will cause damage on Long Island, or will it be a flop?
Log in and tell us in the comments.
Stay with Patch as we continue to update on Hurricane Irene leading up to and through the storm. Follow @CommackPatch on Twitter or check our Facebook Page page to be alerted to updates.
>> Irene could hit North Carolina's Outer Banks on Saturday afternoon with winds around 115 mph (185 kph). It's predicted to chug up the East Coast, dumping rain from Virginia to New York City before a much-weakened form reaches land in Connecticut. <<