Three bridges to New York City’s flood-prone Rockaways are closed because of rising winds as Hurricane Irene advances toward the city.

Officials said early Sunday that the Broad Channel bridge, the Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge and the Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge were closing. It’s unclear when they will reopen.

The Rockaways are on a peninsula off Queens. The city ordered all of the Rockaways evacuated by 5 p.m. Saturday. With the three bridges closed, there is one other route out of the area. But flooding could make it impassable.

(Source: WSJ)