NYC Hurricane: Obama Declares Emergency For New York As Hurricane Irene Approaches

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama has declared an emergency for New York state in anticipation of Hurricane Irene, which has New York City in its sights as it storms up the Eastern Seaboard.

The declaration means that the Homeland Security Department and the Federal Emergency Management Agency can coordinate disaster relief efforts. It also means the state can receive federal aid to supplement state and local emergency and cleanup assistance.

The declaration is specifically intended to alleviate the threat of a catastrophe in the counties of Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens, Richmond, Nassau and Suffolk.

The brunt of the storm is expected to hit the New York City area and Long Island on Sunday.

The hurricane threatens up to 65 million people along a path from North Carolina to New England.

This Guy In Brooklyn Got An NYC Earthquake Tattoo Pics

Brooklyn tattoo shop are signing up to have “Survived the Quake” inked on their skin – even though the design was offered as a joke.Getting the black logo will hurt more than Tuesday’s tremor, which did little more in New York than rattle some nerves.
Tattoo shop owner Joe Khay was mocking all the amped-up angst about the quake when he made the design.”My whole shop was swaying back and forth,” said Khay, who owns Citizen Ink Studios in Sheepshead Bay.

Khay wasn’t the only person in the country to turn the quake into commerce. Commemorative T-shirts popped up on the Internet within hours.Of course, the buyers can take those off.Although Berg was the first taker at Citizen Ink, three other people have asked for the quake tat, which was first reported by the blog Sheepshead Bites.”It’s not the weirdest thing I have tattooed on people,” Khay said with a grin. “I just thought it would be a good laugh.”