If you haven’t bolted the Northeast for a warm, sunny beach somewhere yet then it’s probably too late: Nearly 6,100 flights have been canceled already, and the number is only expected to grow as Hurricane Irene approaches. Beginning at noon on Saturday, the five main New York City airports will all be closed to incoming flights. The overall impact, however, is not expected to be as bad as it is in the case of a severe blizzard: Unless airport facilities are damaged, flights can generally resume almost as soon as the rain stops. Amtrak has also reduced Saturday service and canceled all Sunday trains.
