Tracking Hurricane Irene at the National Hurricane Center (AP Photo/Jeffrey M. Boan).

Were you thinking of heading out to Fire Island to brave Irene? Just stop that. At 3 p.m. today Suffolk County is expected to call for a mandatory evacuation of Fire Island [Reg. Req'd]. In addition those Nassau county residents on barrier islands or in storm-surge areas south of Sunrise Highway and north of Route 25A are being asked to leave as well. But voluntarily (for now).

"This is a time when they can safely move and calmly move to higher ground," Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano said in a news conference Friday. Right now those Nassau evacuations are voluntary but the Fire Island one? Not so much. The last ferries off the island are scheduled to leave Saturday between 3 and 4 p.m. So if you are on the Island, you probably want to get packing. After all, President Obama has asked us all to take these evacuations seriously!