As of 5:00 a.m. E.D.T. on August 22, 2011, the National Weather Service National Hurricane Center predicts that Hurricane Irene will miss the mountains on the island of Haiti. As a result, Hurricane Irene will not weaken as previously expected, but instead gain strength over the warm waters open of the Caribbean.
Irene will remain at hurricane strength until it makes landfall on the East Coast of Florida around 2:00 a.m. this coming Friday. Irene is then predicted to move up the East Florida Coast from 2:00 a.m. this coming Friday through 2:00 a.m. Saturday.
Brevard County is now dead center in the path of Irene as it travels along Florida’s East Coast.