Hurricane Irene 2011 Path Seen from Space [PHOTO]

Hurricane Irene is set to unleash its fury in New York City, which hasn't seen a hurricane this big since 1938.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has called for mandatory evacuations in some low-lying zones, and residents are either fleeing or stocking up and preparing for what may be the worst storm in years.

If a storm were to occur, it could be catastrophic, given the population density in the Northeast, Donald Cresitello of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said.

What are some of the most catastrophic and devastating effects that Hurricane Irene that could bring?

Cresitello explained some worst-case scenarios:

- Wall Street would be seven feet under water.

- John F. Kennedy International Airport would be covered with 20 feet of water.

- Seawater could be pushed into lower Manhattan and pour through the Holland and Brooklyn Battery tunnels.

Watch NOAA's visual documentation on Hurricane Irene, which went from a tropical wave on August 19 to Category 3 and back down to Category 2 on Friday.

New York Storm Hurricane New York