8 p.m. Update: Long Island Under Tornado Watch

As Hurricane Irene closes in on Long Island, the region has an additional fear: Tornado watch.

The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for Nassau and Suffolk counties until 5 a.m. Sunday. That's on top of the hurricane warning and flood watch for the region.

The National Hurricane Center's 7 p.m. Saturday update lists Irene as a Category 1 storm with 80 mph winds. The storm's center is 35 miles southeast of Norfolk, Va. as it heads up the East Coast -- just 315 miles from New York City.  

RELATED: Follow Patch live blogs on the storm from the North Shore, South Shore and East End.

The NWS calls for Long Island to see outer bands of the storm later Saturday with torrential rain and strengthening winds coming overnight and into Sunday.

A coastal flood hazard has also been issued by the NWS for communities along the Long Island Sound and Atlantic Coastline, calling it a moderate flood zone. Nassau and Suffolk are listed as moderate inland flood hazards.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency on Thursday. It produced a cascade of emergency measures, including:

• The MTA suspended service for buses, subways and trains at noon Saturday.
• Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano announced a mandatory evacuation order for all residents living south of Sunrise Highway, from the Queens line to Rockville Centre and south of Merrick Road, from Rockville Centre to the Nassau-Suffolk border. All those residing in these areas must evacuate by 5 p.m. Saturday.
• North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman said low-lying areas and storm surge zones need to be evacuated, including parts of Manorhaven, Manhasset Isle, Port Washington North and residents that live along Shore Road along Manhasset Bay.
• Brookhaven Town Supervisor Mark Lesko announced a mandatory evacuation effective 8 a.m. Saturday for those who reside in the town's South Shore flood zones, from Center Moriches toPatchogue.
• Islip Town mandatory evacuation of low-lying areas south ofMontauk Highway will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday. 
• Fire Island mandatory evacuation began 3 p.m. Friday.
• Asharoken Mayor Patricia Irving has urged residents to evacuate. 
• East Hampton Town Supervisor Bill Wilkinson officially declared astate of emergency on Saturday. 
• Southampton Town began mandatory evacuations of low-lying areas at 10 a.m. Saturday.
•  Village of Greenport will officially be in a state of emergency beginning at 7 p.m. on Saturday, according to Mayor David Nyce.

According to NOAA models, Long Island faces up to an 100 percent probability of seeing tropical storm-force winds up to 74 mph. The model also shows the Island has a 10 percent chance of facing hurricane force winds.