Atlantic Beach Mayor Waiting to See Where Irene Goes

In the 16 years that Atlantic Beach Mayor Stephen Mahler has been in office, he said he’s never faced anything quite as serious as Hurricane Irene.

“I don’t think we’ve had anything quite as bad as this,” he said. “We haven’t had such a bad threat.”

When Five Towns Patch called, Mahler was watching County Executive Ed Mangano on repeating his call for a of the Barrier Island, which includes Atlantic Beach. He said he’s also watching a storm tracker, and hopes Irene moves east. Although village residents have been calling village hall to ask about Irene, Atlantic Beach won’t make a final determination about what residents should do until about 3:30 p.m., he said.

“It’s a hard call. People have to use their own judgment,” Mahler said of whether residents should evacuate now. “A lot depends on what happens when it hits land in the Carolinas. There will be an impact, but it just depends on where.”