(NECN) - Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has declared a state of emergency for the Bay State in regards to the threat that Hurricane Irene possesses.
Patrick is also mobilizing 2,500 National Guard members.
At at briefing at the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Framingham, Patrick said that Irene is expected to have a significant impact on Massachusetts. Irene should arrive Saturday night, and the brunt of the storm is expected on Sunday afternoon.
Patrick urged Massachusetts residents to stay off the roads over the weekend as much as possible.
He also said that state officials are working with utilities to make sure that teams are ready to respond at the earliest in the case of a widespread power outage.
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