When I first started seeing the increasing number of news stories about Hurricane Irene a few days ago, I shrugged and thought the media was indulging in its usual semi-hysterical over-reporting on a situation which would end with more of a whimper than a bang. (We are used to that here in the Northwest, where the forecast of a few inches of snow in Seattle or Portland sends all of the news outlets into overdrive.) I will also admit to being somewhat annoyed when Friday’s NBC evening national news broadcast, expanded to an hour, had almost no national or international stories (beyond the storm) and seemed to be more of a local or regional program with tips on storm preparation. But as I listened to the predictions of high tides coinciding with the storm surge, heavy and prolonged rainfall, the consistent tracking of Irene over so many major metro areas and the sheer size of the storm, I realized that all the clamor might in this instance be justified. One figure which stuck with me: Up to 65 million people will experience damaging winds of 50 mph or more up and down the Eastern Seaboard. The biggest concern is with the multiple inches of rain which will fall over an area which has already experienced an unusually wet August. Sporting events, from golf tournaments and NFL games to the Little League World Series, have been affected; and I couldn’t help but wonder how many hundreds of weddings scheduled for this weekend have been thrown into disarray. Above all, I was struck by the thousands of flights canceled in and out of airports starting Saturday and the fact that all New York City public transportation was suspended as of noon Saturday. The ripple effect those decisions must have upon tens of thousands of travelers all over the world for several days will be incredible. As I write this, Irene has yet to reach the Big Apple. Here’s hoping that the direst of predictions will not come true and all of the precautions taken, evacuations ordered and cancellations made will help to minimize damage and loss of life. I’ll certainly be anxious to hear how all of my East Coast Global Traveler colleagues rode out the storm! — Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor