Virginia Beach has declared a local emergency and is warning residents to prepare for potential flooding and power outages as Hurricane Irene approaches Virginia's coast.
City Manager James K. Spore issued the declaration at 8 a.m. Thursday.
The city said in a news release that there's also a possibility of tornadoes.
On Thursday, city officials issued a mandatory Friday evacuation for Sandbridge, a section of the city that's among the most vulnerable in the state to storm surge, large waves and hurricane-force winds.
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Copyright AP - Associated Press