Hurricane Irene path: Fallen tree limbs and heavy rain pelt Nazareth vicinity before midnight. Fireworks?

FROM THE EXPRESS TIMES

It's not good.

People this afternoon were chirping about how the storm was downgraded, but I'm not sure they understood the magnitude and wide swath of Hurricane Irene.

A quick trip through the borough of Nazareth and Upper Nazareth Township at about 11 p.m. showed fallen tree branches and a drenching rain. And the worst is not expected for several hours.

Heading into the overnight, it's the creeping tornado warnings that are most worrisome. All of New Jersey is getting the worst of Irene, but people in the Philadelphia suburbs -- where there is not a direct hurricane hit -- have gotten urgent tornado warnings.

All of this comes as the center portion of the storm is still more than a hundred miles from the tip of New Jersey.

Here's hoping everyone has a safe night and morning.

P.S. Some kind of random fireworks went off around 8 p.m. Several people texted me. I heard and saw them too. Does anyone know what that was?

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/joe-owens/index.ssf/2011/08/hurricane_irene_path_fallen_tr.html