The present track of Irene puts the eye of hurricane going over Western Long Island, about 100 miles west of Rhode Island. Very good news for us, not so for those now in the path of the storm. If this holds true, I will be very relieved.
The storm has also been downgraded and has weakened. Right now the predictions for Newport, RI are 50 knot winds, quite acceptable. (as the reader may know the force of the wind is the square of the speed, a few quick examples will show how dramatically things change as the numbers grow.)
I am feeling cautiously better.