Watch CBS News

FEMA: Flooding, Power Outages Expected In Mass.

BOSTON (CBS) - Having cut his Vineyard vacation a day short, President Obama dropped in at FEMA headquarters in Washington this morning.

The president has ordered 6500 troops to stand-by for post Hurricane Irene relief work.

Obama complimented FEMA staffers, joking that they weren't going to get much sleep over the next 72 hours.

WBZ-TV's Ken MacLeod spoke with Rich Serino

FEMA still believes that -- for most of Massachusetts, a lengthy power outage is likely to be our biggest problem out of Irene.

Ken MacLeod reports

FEMA Deputy Administrator Rich Serino says because the ground is already saturated in Massachusetts, trees are going to fall a lot easier.

"Wind and additional rain is going to cause trees to go down, power lines to go down," he tells WBZ.

"It's likely that people will be without of power possibly for a few days."

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.