Capitol Hill prepares for Hurricane Irene

Precautions are being taken around the Capitol complex in anticipation of Hurricane Irene, expected to make landfall sometime this weekend.

“We have a severe weather plan that we follow to prepare the grounds and buildings for hurricanes, etc., and are monitoring the storm closely,” Eva Malecki, a spokeswoman for the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), wrote in an email to The Hill.

{mosads}The category-3 hurricane battered the Bahamas on Thursday, and is less than two days away from hitting large sections of the East Coast, from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to New England.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) has declared a state of emergency in the area, telling coastal residents to be prepared to evacuate due to flooding and strong winds.

“Over the last 24 hours, a number of weather models have shifted the forecasted track of Irene slightly to the west, increasing the potential for inclement weather and potentially dangerous conditions in portions of Virginia,’’ McDonnell said Thursday in a news release.

“At this time, I encourage all Virginians to gather items they may need this weekend in case of power outages and disruptions in public services and to make sure their family members and friends are also prepared for this storm.”

According to the National Weather Service, the hurricane is forecast to approach the coast of North Carolina on Saturday, with maximum sustained winds to near 115 mph, with stronger gusts.

North Carolina shoreline counties of Dare, Currituck and Carteret are under mandatory evacuation notices.

“This is a very, very serious situation,” Dorothy Toolan, public information officer for Dare County, told ABC News. “We have not seen anything like this in the lifetimes of most our residents.”

Craig Fugate, the Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator, said that the hurricane’s exact path cannot be predicted at this time, but that the entire east coast of the United States should make preparations.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) has declared a state of emergency for the entire state and is advising all visitors to leave the coastal areas. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said police are deploying more
than 80 boats and several helicopters to prepare
for emergencies, and city hospitals are testing their emergency
generators.

Military bases along the eastern seaboard are securing for the Category 3 winds and rain of Hurricane Irene, and the Defense Department is working closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency as part of the U.S. government response, defense officials said Thursday.

Amtrak announced it is canceling all train service south of Washington D.C. for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, due to the storm.

Asked how the AOC was preparing for the emergency, Malecki responded that the severe-weather plan includes several safeguards for the Capitol campus.

“We remove objects that could get blown away by wind (signs, fencing, plants, etc.), clean out storm drains, protect glass/fixtures, secure scaffolding, etc.,” she wrote.

It has already been a busy week for the AOC, after its office conducted extensive infrastructure assessments following Tuesday’s 5.8-magnitude earthquake in the region.

Cracks in the Rayburn House Office Building’s walls were reported as a result of the quake.

“Our staff is assessing and prioritizing the work needed and we’ll make the repairs in a timely manner,” Malecki wrote of the damage.

This story was updated at 3:25 p.m.