Rivertowns Residents, Businesses Prep for Irene

Driving through Hastings this afternoon, one could hardly tell that a hurricane was on track to arrive within hours—with the exception of an entirely full parking lot at and a message written in tape on the window of  gifts and stationary store reading: "Be Kind Irene."

Who says you can't weather-proof in style?

In Dobbs Ferry, Ricky Schiavone was hard at work taping 'x-es' on the windows of soon-to-open gift store Adriana's on Main Street. (He also offered to tape the windows of next door.)

"We're doing this just in case," Schiavone said. "I just called a friend in North Carolina who said it wasn't so bad—strong winds and a few broken windows. I don't expect it to be terrible here, but always better safe than sorry."

Adriana's—a Jersey Shore-style gift store owned by Schiavone's girlfriend Jillian Renz—is scheduled to open after Labor Day.

In Irvington, business owners on the Bridge Street properties took the flood warning very seriously, taping their windows and sandbagging the perimeters of buildings. 

And residents lined streams with sandbags hoping to curb the flooding and reduce damage. 

By 3 p.m.  Market was entirely wiped out of spreads, sandwiches and salads. "We even had to make more this afternoon," said Danielle Diaz, Geordanes' owner. "People came for the prepared food because they'll be inside all day tomorrow. And they bought lots of ice cream—as comfort food."

Geordanes will be closed on Sunday, but Diaz doesn't mind the day off. "We made up for it in sales today," she said.