US East Coast buckles down ahead of Hurricane Henri's arrival

The US East Coast braced on Saturday to take a direct hit from Hurricane Henri as it threatened to pound the region with fierce winds and heavy rains that could cause "life-threatening" storm surge and flooding, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. As of Saturday afternoon, the storm was gathering strength, packing 120 kph winds while it moved north about 240 miles northeast of North Carolina. On its current track, Henri was expected to make landfall in Long Island, New York, or southern New England on Sunday, the center said in an advisory. More than 42m people in the region were under a hurricane or tropical storm warning on Saturday, the NHC said. Parts of Long Island and New Haven, Connecticut, were under hurricane and storm surge warnings. Other parts of New England, such as Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, were under surge and tropical storm watches and warnings. "This is a life-threatening situation. Persons located within these areas should take all necessary actions to protect life and property from rising water and the potential for other dangerous conditions," the NHC said. New York City, the largest city in the United States, was under a tropical storm warning. Several airlines issued travel alerts and were offering vouchers for flights in and out of the region over the weekend. <br/>