As of right now, it looks as though we’re going to be spared the worst of Irene’s wind strength and rainfall: WJLA is reporting that Washington will likely not face tropical-storm force weather, with winds instead peaking around 50 mph, with heavy rain reaching D.C. late Saturday. Storm conditions will likely peak Saturday night, with heavy wind expected into Sunday afternoon.

However, just because Georgetown will (probably) be spared the worst, don’t think that the city will not see some serious effects from the storm. As a person who has seen his fair share of Hurricane hits and near misses, your loyal Vox editor advises erring on the side of caution. Pepco is warning that D.C. residents could face extended and severe power outages, several major events in the District have been cancelled this weekend, and the University has postponed convocation from Sunday to Tuesday.

Given that the District and the University have a somewhat uneven reputation for handling major crises, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to be prepared. Fortunately, various D.C. agencies and newspapers have published guides for everything a person should do to prepare for a storm, dealing with issues including:

Where has all the power gone?

Pepco is cautioning its customers that they could face significant power outages possibly lasting several days, with the company’s President Joseph Rigby warning that “there is a very real possibility for significant damage to [Pepco's] electrical infrastructure.”

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