D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray declared a state of emergency for the nation's capital ahead of Hurricane Irene.
Gray's spokeswoman said the mayor issued the order Friday evening after consultation with the office of the attorney general.
The move follows similar emergency orders issued in neighboring Maryland and Virginia.
The storm that is making its way up the East Coast is supposed to pound the area with strong winds and power outages, rain and possible flooding.
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Copyright AP - Associated Press