Look: Photos as A Neighborhood Preps for Irene
“Time is running out,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at a press conference Saturday afternoon.”The storm is coming…If you haven’t left, you should leave now.”
Despite Mayor Michael Bloomberg's mandatory evacuation for this part of Brooklyn, residents strolled along the pier by India Street in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, on Saturday afternoon. MetroFocus/Sam Lewis
Bloomberg issued a mandatory evacuation order for all New Yorkers in low-lying coastal areas, including parts of Brooklyn and Queens and Battery Park City and the Financial District in Manhattan. The city has never before ordered a mandatory evacuation.
On Saturday afternoon, some residents in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, stocked up on batteries and water, while others strolled along the pier or guzzled beer at local bars. The northwest corner of this Brooklyn neighborhood was designated a “Zone A” and residents in the area were asked to evacuate by 5 p.m. on Saturday.
See photos of the day below:
Ak Ali works at a deli on Greenpoint Avenue. He plans to keep the store open throughout the storm.
"I live upstairs so I can always shutdown whenever it gets bad," he told a customer on Saturday night.
MetroFocus/Sam Lewis
Jose Lopez works at Thai Cafe on Manhattan Avenue. He said that his boss is closing the restaurant earlier than usual.
Mass transit was shutdown at noon on Saturday, but Lopez lives in the neighborhood so he was not worried about getting home to his family.
MetroFocus/Sam Lewis
Despite Mayor Michael Bloomberg's mandatory evacuation for this part of Brooklyn, residents strolled along the India Street pier on Saturday afternoon.
MetroFocus/Sam Lewis
Aside from the local grocery stores, Greenpoint's bars were the busiest establishments on Saturday afternoon.
MetroFocus/Sam Lewis
Joanna Wajs lives and works in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. She said she plans on sticking out the storm and was not too concerned about a possible power outage or flooding.
MetroFocus/Sam Lewis
Jared Labine works at a video store on Manhattan avenue. He said Saturday was their busiest day of the year.
"There was a mob outside the store this morning."
MetroFocus/Sam Lewis
A video store in Greenpoint, Brooklyn had its busiest day of the year on Saturday just before the storm.
MetroFocus/Sam Lewis
A Con Edison representative said at the press conference Friday that the company would consider cutting the power in low-lying areas if the storm surge resulted in severe flooding.
A view of the company's power plants from Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
MetroFocus/Sam Lewis
Many of the shops in Greenpoint, Brooklyn had their televisions tuned to the Weather Channel.
MetroFocus/Sam Lewis
Property owners on Franklin Avenue in Greenpoint removed garbage cans and left the tops tied to a wall. At a press conference on Friday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg warned residents to remove outdoor objects that could fly away in high winds.
MetroFocus/Sam Lewis
Despite Mayor Michael Bloomberg's mandatory evacuation for this part of Brooklyn, residents in Greenpoint fished off the India Street pier on Saturday afternoon.
MetroFocus/Sam Lewis
Delicious. Besides for the local grocery stores, Greenpoint's bars were the busiest establishments on Saturday afternoon.
MetroFocus/Sam Lewis
Only a few stores along Greenpoint's Manhattan Avenue remained open after 5 p.m. on Saturday night...But all of them were sold out of D batteries, the most common size for flashlights.
MetroFocus/Sam Lewis
Several shop windows along Franklin Street in Greenpoint were taped to prevent wind damage.
MetroFocus/Sam Lewis
