Thousands flee Jersey shore as surfers ride storm's wave

Thousands of residents fled resort towns along the New Jersey shore on Saturday ahead of powerful Hurricane Irene whose arrival was just hours away.

Mandatory evacuations covered all of the state's barrier island beach resorts, including such popular spots as Atlantic City, Cape May and Long Beach Island, and affected hundreds of thousands of residents and summer visitors, officials said.

The looming storm was bringing the biggest waves of the season, prompting scores of surfers to flock to the beaches despite ominous clouds and rain.

"It's the waves," said Guy Gallo of Little Silver, N.J., as he prepared to paddle out into the Atlantic Ocean.

"But you don't want to get caught out when the hurricane hits," he added.

The Category 1 hurricane, expected to hit the region late on Saturday or early on Sunday, is likely to pack winds of 55 to 75 miles an hour (89 to 121 kph), weather experts said.

Damage to resort boardwalks is likely, forecasters said.

At a doughnut shop in Sea Bright, a sign advertising its closing hours read: "Friday 10 p.m., Saturday noon, Sunday, Good Luck