NYC declares state of emergency as Hurricane Henri approaches

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a state of emergency on Saturday, urging residents to stay at home and use public transportation on Sunday if they need to travel as the U.S. East Coast braced on to take a direct hit from Hurricane Henri.

As of Saturday afternoon, the storm was gathering strength, packing 75 mph (120 kph) winds while it moved north about 240 miles northeast of North Carolina.

On its current track, Henri is expected to make landfall in Long Island, New York, or southern New England on Sunday, the National Hurricane Center said in an advisory.

(CGTN)