PHOTOS: North Fork Residents Make Final Preparations for Irene

Clouds have engulfed the East End and the rain has begun to fall, as we creep closer and closer to landfall by . With only a few hours of calm left, North Fork residents are making final preparations by heading out to the gas station, food store, boarding up vulnerable windows and doors, and putting away outside furniture. Beaches which would normally be packed on a Saturday in August are empty, and the mood is tense as residents wait out what's to come.