'Most Widespread Wind Event in Years'

Irene will likely be downgraded to a tropical storm as it hits New England, Bob Thompson of the National Weather Service has reported to Grafton emergency officials.

But the storm will still produce the most widespread wind event the area has seen in years, Thompson reported.

Sustained winds of 30 to 50 miles per hour are expected, with gusts of more than 60 to 70 miles per hour possible in higher terrain.

This is strong enough to take down a lot of trees, particularly since, unlike in winter, there is full foliage.

The storm will likely hit the area between 3 and 5 a.m.