BBC Live:Hurricane Irene Skip to main content

BBC Live:Hurricane Irene

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  1.  
    Via Twitter Kristi Ray in New Bern, North Carolina,
    tweets: Driving around seeing the aftermath of #Irene. It's heartbreaking. Our beautiful city got pounded. #NewBern
    Photo: Kristi Ray
  2. 1339:
    It could be days before power is restored to millions of homes, US Federal Emergency Management Director Craig Fugate has told Fox News. Damage assessments are just starting in some areas, he said, and it is not yet clear whether systems have been damaged or if they switched themselves off. An estimated 3.3m homes and businesses along the east coast are without power.
  3.  
    1337: NYC Mayor's Office
    tweets a word of caution despite the downgrading of the storm: We are in the midst of the most dangerous period of the storm, so for your safety, continue to remain indoors. #Irene
  4. 1336: Laura Trevelyan BBC News, New York
    sends word from the flood zone: The walkway here on the south cove of Battery Park City has flooded, and the water is above the top of my boots. But a local building manager says the 4ft storm surge isn't as bad as feared and unless the water level rises by 11ft he will keep the generator on. This shows New Yorkers can follow instructions, he says. The high tide will start to go out now which will offset the storm surge.
  5. 1330:
    Images from the New York area are now starting to come in - here's one of a car crushed by a fallen tree in Brooklyn.
    Crushed car under a tree in Brooklyn, New York
  6.  
    Shannon H
    tweets: Just walked in water up to my knees in my backyard! Thanks #Irene
  7. 1320:
    More details from the National Hurricane Center: according to an updated report the storm moved over New York City at 1300 GMT (0900 EDT), with winds of 65mph (100 km/h).
  8. 1317:
    Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey issues a blunt warning: "Do not leave your homes until the storm has completely passed this afternoon." Flooding is still a major risk to public safety he says.
  9.  
    1308: Carissa, Trumbull, Connecticut,
    emails: Heavy rain and lots of wind in Fairfield County. We lost power at about 7am, when a transformer nearby blew. Just have to ride it out and hope that none of the big trees fall down around us.
  10. 1305: Breaking News
    The US National Hurricane Center downgrades Irene to a tropical storm as it moves over New York City.
  11. 1258:
    Here's video evidence of the sort of flooding happening on Long Island, New York: a lifeguard tower being washed away by Irene's waves.
  12. 1254:
    With the focus now clearly on the New York area, it's worth reflecting that back down the US east coast, millions of people are now cleaning up after Irene. The Washington Post reports that about one million homes and businesses in the Washington area alone were affected.
  13. 1248:
    News from up to coast: authorities in Boston have suspended the city's public transport network as Irene moves north, the Associated Press reports.
  14. 0845:
    CNN is now reporting that the Hudson River - on the west side of Manhattan island - is now also topping its banks. A reporter there is standing knee-deep in water in Battery Park. But she offers a word of optimism - the level of flooding is not expected to be as severe as had been feared, according to officials.
  15.  
    1242: Lawrence Gibbs, in Cardiff,
    is worried about his daughter and her husband: They got married just last week. I can't get through to where they are staying in Times Square - I spoke to her yesterday and she was in tears. They were supposed to be coming home tomorrow but they just don't know now. I'm looking after their two-year-old daughter while they're away.
  16. 1237:
    And in New York City itself the East River - which bounds one side of Manhattan - is reported to be topping its banks, with water seeping into some of the low-lying areas under mandatory evacuation notices.
  17. 1234:
    US TV networks are showing live pictures from Long Beach, New York as the Atlantic Ocean surges over the boardwalk and into the streets. A combination of high tides and the strong winds of Hurricane Irene are forcing water into the streets.
  18. 1230:
    At 1200 GMT Irene was a mere 40 miles (60km) south-south-west of New York City, the NHC says. At a speed of 25mph that gives New Yorkers about one more hour until the full force of the storm is upon them.
  19. 1228:
    Irene is speeding up now, according to the latest update from the US National Hurricane Center. The storm, which on Friday and Saturday was churning along at a sedate pace, is now moving at about 25mph (41km/h).
  20. 1211: Barbara Plett BBC News, New York,
    says: A lot of evacuation centres seem to be almost empty. A lot of people in those evacuation areas along the coast just decided to stay at home and hunker down.
  21. 1208: Barbara Plett BBC News, New York,
    says: The thing that everybody's waiting for is to see whether there is a storm surge, forcing water into the city. At the moment it hasn't done so in a very big way.
  22. 1206:
    Officials from power firms now say about 3 million people have been left without power.
  23. 1205:
    It hasn't taken long for surfers in Virginia to get back on their boards:
    A surfer heads out to hit the waves early Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011, after Hurricane Irene moved through Virginia Beach
  24.  
    Nancy in Connecticut
    tweets: Getting hammered by #Irene here in CT Lots of trees/wires down will have alot of clean up too do on Mon. Still have power!!!
  25.  
    Hadyn Lassiter, in West Haven, Connecticut,
    emails: We are in it now. Trees falling everywhere. Utility crews are out. Roads are blocked.
  26. 1154:
    The picture agencies have helpfully sent out archive images of the 1938 New England hurricane. No-one is suggesting Irene will cause a repeat of this:
    A couple sitting amongst the remains of their home at Highland Park, Rhode Island, USA, after a 100-mile-an-hour storm swept the Atlantic coast of North America in 1938
  27. 1142:
    So we've had Broadway shows closing, people fleeing, airports closing. I haven't so far mentioned sport. Practice sessions and preamble events for the US Open tennis tournament have been cancelled. Various baseball games have also been shelved.
  28.  
    Richard Wells in NYC
    tweets: Just took out dog - we were out for 90-120 seconds, both got soaked by rain. Not much wind, but branches on ground #NYC #Irene
  29.  
    Olawale Akande, Arverne, NY,
    emails: We live in a Zone-A low-lying area by the Rockaway Beach and heeded the call to evacuate the area. We have food, water, flashlights and batteries. It's being raining since yesterday evening, we are expecting the hurricane in a few hours. We are READY.
  30. 1111:
    For extended versions of the personal stories we've been giving you a flavour of throughout this commentary, have a look at our piece collating the best eyewitness accounts so far.
  31. 1105:
    Good facts from the Weather Channel's Twitter feed: Apparently Irene is the first hurricane to make landfall in New Jersey since 1903. And New York City has had its wettest month ever, breaking the record of 1882, for those of you with long memories.
  32.  
    Dan Castner
    tweets: Total rainfall so far in backyard: 7.1". May reach a foot before over. Barometer still dropping rapidly #irene
  33. 1101:
    Away from the transport shutdown, the evacuations and power outages, let it not escape your attention that Broadway shows have shut down as a result of the storm.
  34. 1057:
    New York's transport office has its own flickr stream, and has uploaded some eerie images of a completely empty Grand Central Station.
  35.  
    Iain Machell, Malden-on-Hudson,
    emails: I live in a converted 1840 farmhouse on the edge of the Hudson River, so the basement is pumping out water almost non-stop. Locals here are buying up drinking water, batteries & canned food, putting away garden furniture, moving cars away from trees, filling bathtubs with water.
  36.  
    US flight attendant Dav
    tweets: Woke up to no power! Thanks a lot, #Irene! Let's hope it comes back, otherwise I'll be drinking ice cream tonight!
  37. 1048:
    A reminder to anyone due to fly to New York - all three main airports (JFK, Newark, LaGuardia) are still closed. Experts say more than 8,000 flights are likely to be cancelled.
  38. 1044:
    An update on the statistics of the storm: Eight people have died as a result of accidents caused by the hurricane; the storm is packing winds of 75mph, making it a category-one hurricane; more than two million people have had their power knocked out.
  39. 1038:
    Putting Irene in perspective, such storms are a once-in-a-generation event in north-eastern United States. The last hurricane to hit the area was Gloria in 1985; before that was Agnes in 1972.
  40.  
    Pete Massiello
    tweets: Rain just coming down in buckets. When the wind gusts the trees seem to almost fall over. #Irene
  41. 1023:
    For more striking images of the hurricane, have a look at our latest gallery.
  42. 1022:
    The picture agencies are filled with poignant pictures, including this one of homeless Lenard Sanders pushing his cart towards a subway station in Philadelphia as the storm approaches:
    Lenard Sanders, a homeless man, pushes his cart toward a subway station, Sunday, Aug 28, 2011, in Philadelphia
  43.  
    Reporter for WNBC-TV Tracie Strahan
    tweets: Wow - watching boats sink in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. The dock we've been reporting from could be under water soon because of Irene
  44.  
    Stefan Wilson, Suffolk, New York,
    emails: I work on a summer camp in Long Island. We have had to evacuate the camp of staff and we're holed up in a house generously donated by friends of the camp. It's a pretty surreal experience knowing that you're going to be hit with the full force of mother nature and there's not a lot you can do about it. Being a Brit, I'm not used to this sort of thing.
  45. 1014: Laura Trevelyan BBC News, New York
    The Statue of Liberty has disappeared from view. Emma Lazarus's classic poem about the Statue of Liberty seems as apt as ever as the waters rise: "Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
  46. 1010:
    But Mr Farrell reflects the concerns of many, telling AFP: "We've got to find out what happened when we back home. It's a big worry. My house might not be there."
  47. 1009:
    Some people in New Jersey have fled almost 100 miles from their homes to seek shelter. Jimmy Farrell, from Atlantic City, tells AFP news agency he's grateful for the shelter at a New Brunswick gymnasium.
  48. 1004: Laura Trevelyan BBC News, New York
    In southern Manhattan, the rain is falling heavily and the wind is picking up. In Battery Park City, where residents have been told to evacuate, sand bags line the rows of shops by the waterfront. High tide is due at 8 am, at approximately the same time as the storm surge. I just walked to the water's edge and the waves are already lapping over the walkway.
  49. 0953:
    Hurricane Irene has now hit land on the New Jersey coast after veering out to sea. The most intense part of the storm is expected in New York City within hours.
  50.  
    Aleksandar Gavric
    tweets: It is 5:40am and I was awakened by the sound of the strong wind. Yes, Irene is obviously coming (Rhode Island)
  51.  
    Donna DiGiacomo, Philadelphia,
    emails: We've been caught in the tail-end of storms before but this is just ridiculous. Last week we had the power out several times, then the earthquake and now this. The road outside is just mud. Twelve hours straight of rain.
  52.  
    Ashley Hammond, Montclair, NJ,
    emails: 4am and Irene is here in NJ! My basement is flooding so a long nite and day still ahead to keep us dry!
  53. 0934:
    Forecasters are saying the hurricane is likely to be downgraded to a tropical storm soon, as the winds dip below 75mph. But the sheer size of the storm and the surge it will cause are still likely to cause major problems.
  54.  
    Michael, Queens, NY,
    emails: I am stuck at home from the storm and will be stuck for several days, as the tree in front of my house fell down blocking my driveway.
  55. 0923:
    The heightened alert level indicates that vessel traffic in the harbour will be severely restricted and delayed until winds die down enough to allow shipping traffic to resume.
  56. 0922:
    Reuters reports that the US Coast Guard has increased its alert level for New York Harbor from "Yankee" to "Zulu" indicating gale force winds are expected.
  57. 0913:
    But Ms Burton adds that she'll be keeping an eye on the local park, which frequently floods: "I'm not a fool; if it starts coming up from the park, I'm leaving. It's the wind I'm more concerned about than anything."
  58. 0912:
    One of the big worries for officials is that resident will simply ignore warnings to leave their homes. Pennsylvania resident Annette Burton, 72, tells AP she plans to stay in her home despite the danger of rising water from a nearby creek.
  59.  
    Stefanie Raymond
    tweets: Great #Irene sign via @nytimes
  60. 0903:
    To get an idea of how big a deal Hurricane Irene is, here's an image of the storm taken from the International Space Station:
    A NASA Goddard Space Flight Center handout photo shows an image of Hurricane Irene around 2030 GMT (4:30 p.m. EDT) August 26, 2011
  61.  
    Agy Wilson, Windham, Maine
    It's a bit past four AM and it's been raining steadily. So far it doesn't feel ominous, but the manifests show it is something different. My hope is we're far enough away. But hurricanes are unpredictable. At least I haven't heard thunder in the last five minutes.
  62. 0843:
    The NHC has updated its warning saying Irene is now heading along the Jersey shore.
  63.  
    Ryan Narcisse, Roselle, New Jersey
    This is my first time witnessing anything like this. The street was blanketed with a sheet of water. It's tense. It's amazing. We have to worry about downed power lines. It could be as much as three weeks that power may be down.
  64. 0833:
    More detail on the nuclear power plant. A CENG spokesman tells Reuters: "It appears as if due to heavy gusts of winds caused by Hurricane Irene, a large piece of aluminium siding dislodged from a building. The siding came in contact with our main transformer. The Unit 1 reactor automatically went off-line."
  65.  
    @TechFrog
    tweets: This is the best thing I've seen about the Hurricane! RT and share!!!
  66. 0830:
    A spokesman for the CENG power firm told Reuters the Calvert Cliffs nuclear plant in Lusby is safe.
  67. 0828:
    Reuters news agency is reporting that a nuclear reactor in Maryland automatically shut down late on Saturday as a result of the hurricane.
  68.  
    NBC Philadelphia
    tweets: The Schuylkill Is flooding over its banks along the Kelly Drive. #Irene #Breakingnews
  69. 0820:
    Irene has weakened slightly in recent hours to a category-one hurricane. For more detail on how hurricanes work, have a look at our animated guide.
  70.  
    Jay, Garment district, Manhattan
    I live on 33rd floor so gusts are powerful up here. The rain is coming down consistently hard. I won't be surprised at flooding in the subway system. Low ceiling cloud cover so you can't even see the top of the metlife building.
  71. 0809:
    Mr Corbett says: "The rivers may not crest until Tuesday or Wednesday. This isn't just a 24-hour event."
  72. 0807:
    Pennsylvania's governor Tom Corbett is warning people that the state will not necessarily be out of danger once the storm has passed.
  73. 0804:
    With all the focus on New York, it's worth pointing out that other major cities - including Philadelphia and Boston - are in the line of the storm too.
  74. 0756:
    People sleep at Penn Station in New York early on Sunday as public transport was closed across the city.
    People sleep at Penn Station in New York, early Sunday
  75. 0742:
    The Maryland Emergency Management Agency is tweeting the latest updates for the state as its website struggles to cope with demand.
  76. 0727:
    CNN is reporting that Maryland nuclear reactor automatically went offline on Saturday due to the wind gusts. Officials say the power station is safe.
  77. 0715:
    The New York Times is tracking Hurricane Irene as it moves across the east coast on this interactive map.
  78.  
    The Weather Channel tweets: At this hour, the total number of customers experiencing power outages in Hurricane #Irene path has grown to 2,059,940
  79. 0643:
    CNN reports that authorities in Ocean City, Maryland, are no longer sending vehicles to respond to 911 calls because of high winds.
  80. 0616:
    Tom Marshall takes a picture of his flooded home in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina:
    Tom Marshall takes a picture of his flooded home as he stands in floodwater in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina
  81. 0611:
    The NHC further warns Irene will dump up to 20in (50cm) of water in places, bringing life-threatening flash floods and significant uprooting of trees due to rain-softened ground. It also says an extremely dangerous storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 4-8ft (1.2m-2.4m) above ground level in the hurricane-warning area. Its next update is at 0900 GMT.
  82. 0605:
    The NHC warns that water levels are rising rapidly from Maryland to New York. Irene remains a category one hurricane and is about 15 miles south-south-east of Ocean City, Maryland.
  83. 0600:
    National Hurricane Center has just issued its latest advisory: Irene's maximum winds are unchanged at 80mph (130km/h).
  84. 0553:
    An image said to show serious flooding in Atlantic City, New Jersey, has been posted on the photo-hosting website yfrog.
  85.  
    Hurricane Central
    tweets Pepco (utility) reporting 164,211 customers without power in the DC metro area.
  86.  
    Weather Underground
    tweets: Water level continues to rise at Lewes, Delaware... now near 4 feet above expected. #Irene
  87. 0534:
    Firefighters investigate a gas leak in the flooded town of Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina:
    Firefighters in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina
  88. 0527:
    Washington DC emergency services say they've handled more than 550 - mostly weather-related - calls in the past 15 hours. They typically handle 450 calls in a 24-hour period.
  89.  
    Atlantic Watch
    tweets #Hurricane #Irene is expected to remain a hurricane at least 6 more hours, then continue up to NH at a tropical storm.
  90.  
    Fiona Lee in New York
    tweets: Okay, water coming through the ceiling and windows. At least we're not bored waiting for the hurricane anymore
  91. 0517:
    CNN has just raised its tally of the Irene death toll to 10 people, from nine.
  92. 0500:
    A storm shelter in Hoboken, New Jersey, has had to be evacuated because of flooding, says the city's Mayor Dawn Zimmer. Not a good situation when even storm shelters aren't safe.
  93. 0451:
    At least 7,500 National Guard troops have been deployed to help states affected by the storm. Here's the Virginia contingent getting ready to do their duty:
    US Army photo shows Virginia National Guard Soldiers preparing for possible duty in response to Hurricane Irene
  94. 0449:
    Maryland officials have issued a Code Red notification warning a dam at St Mary's Lake near Callaway could burst, causing major floods threatening homes and roads downstream.
  95.  
    Linda in Mercer County, New Jersey
    writes: Terrified. Already we've had torrential rain - my yard is flooded. We just got out of the basement sheltering from a tornado that was headed towards us. I heard a thud, which means a tree is down somewhere, but I can't see where. So far this week - earthquake, tornado, flood and now a hurricane. All I'm missing are locusts and frogs.
  96. 0444:
    Forecasters are predicting the strongest gusts around Washington DC over the next couple of hours. Emergency services say there's been a partial roof collapse at a Georgetown University building.
  97. 0437:
    A falling tree has reportedly claimed another life, after hitting a house in Queen Anne's County, Maryland. The last hurricane to hit Maryland was Floyd in 1999. Irene has so far dumped at least 8in of water on the state.
  98. 0432:
    Nearly 8,000 customers in New York - mostly in Staten Island, Queens, Brooklyn and Bronx - have no power, the Con Edison utility says. There are also reports of air conditioning and lifts in some hotels shutting down.
  99. 0424:
    The 55-year-old surfer who died at New Smyrna Beach, Florida, was reportedly a local teacher. And according to the Orlando Sentinel, another 55-year-old man, a tourist from New Jersey, drowned in rough surf while at the same beach with his family.
  100.  
    Simon Edmonds in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
    writes: The wind and rain is strong. We still have power for the moment. The eye of the hurricane is on track to go right over me. I'm going to try to stay up for it.
  101. 0415:
    A Hasidic Jew cuts a lone figure as he braves the drenched streets of Brooklyn:
    A Hasidic Jew makes his way home as Hurricane Irene starts to hit in Brooklyn, in New York, 27 August 2011
  102. 0409:
    In New Jersey and New York, more than 10,000 people are in shelters. Others, though, are riding out the storm in style. AP news agency reports there's no vacancy for the next few days at New York's five-star Ritz Carlton hotel, along Central Park. A double room costs $695 per night.
  103.  
    Kenneth Morrison Jr in Philadelphia
    writes: My home is on a slant and the rain is relentless. Our basement is filling up with water as I type this, and it is only the edge of the storm. Sadly the only thing my family and I can do is wait for this to pass.
  104. 0355:
    Here's the latest satellite image showing the 500-mile-wide spiral of doom monstering the east coast (via @usnoaagov).
  105.  
    Steve Holland in Washington DC, of Reuters
    tweets: A Virginia official told WJLA TV that 864,000 without power in Virginia and many should expect no power for a week to two weeks.
  106. 0348:
    NYC subway, the nation's biggest, is expected to remain closed until at least Monday if they have to pump any floodwater from tunnels:
    The deserted Times Square subway station
  107. 0339:
    You can keep an eye on Times Square in New York on this webcam. It's almost completely deserted - though earlier we spotted two people trying to re-enact Singin' in the Rain.
  108. 0337:
    Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter has made headlines recently for his crusade against flash mobs. Now he's facing flash floods. The city's Schuylkill river is to crest at 15ft, its highest level since 1869, he warns.
  109. 0332:
    The flash-flood warning has been extended to 0230 local time for most of the Washington DC area.
  110. 0327:
    A tornado spawned by Irene did this to a house in the town of Lewes, Delaware:
    A tornado as a result of Hurricane Irene touched down in Lewes, Delaware
  111.  
    Adam Blenford in Washington DC, of BBC
    tweets rain and wind hammering the windows. It feels like I'm trying to sleep inside a car wash.
  112.  
    Greg Clayman, publisher of The Daily
    tweets: My current plan: fill bathtubs, empty whisky bottles, charge phones, eat cheese.
  113. 0310:
    Just some of the slogans sprayed on plywood boarding up homes and businesses: "Good night Irene" "Come on Irene" "Irene is a lush" "All welcome, except Irene!" "Don't be mean Irene" and, bizarrely, "More beer".
  114. 0302:
    Floodwaters swirl around a pickup truck in New Bern, North Carolina:
    Floodwaters surround a pickup truck in New Bern, NC, Saturdayon 27 August 2011
  115. 0256: BBC Washington deputy bureau chief Ian Sherwood says
    It's very quiet on the streets of Washington DC this evening. A colleague trying to get a cab had to wait for 20 minutes.
  116.  
    John Johnson in Baltimore writes
    We were given orders to evacuate by noon today. Ironically, the shelter that was picked for us sits on an area that is prone to flooding as well. So we figured we would be better off at home. We still have electricity.
  117. The BBC's Michelle Fleury in New York says
    the streets in Brooklyn are now mostly empty. I did see a couple carrying a 12-pack of beer, though.
  118. 0248:
    It's surprising that the Irene death toll hasn't been higher, given that ABC News reports Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell as saying there have been 152 car crashes in the state.
  119. 0243:
    A woman tastes the rain in a nearly deserted Times Square:
    Yuria Celidwen tastes the rain in a nearly deserted Times Square on 27 August 2011
  120. 0241:
    Not everyone has heeded the NYC mayor's evacuation order. "Oh, forget Bloomberg," Evelyn Burrus, 60, tells AP news agency in Brooklyn. "We ain't going anywhere. Go to some shelter with a bunch of strangers and bedbugs? No way."
  121. 0239:
    Mayor Bloomberg says there's certain to be a tidal surge at 0800 local time and that's one of the times they're most worried about.
  122. 0237:
    Mayor Bloomberg complains that NYPD officers had to put their lives on the line to rescue two people who thought it was a good time to go kayaking.
  123. 0233:
    Mayor Bloomberg says when New Yorkers wake up they should stay indoors because of the risk of flying debris or falling branches.
  124. 0232:
    Mayor Bloomberg: "New York is the greatest city in the world and we will weather this storm."
  125. 0231:
    Mayor Bloomberg says it's better to use torches rather than candles because of the fire hazard.
  126. 0230:
    Mayor Bloomberg says the electrical utility may have to shut down parts of the grid if flooding is severe.
  127. 0229:
    Mayor Bloomberg warns that flying debris could smash windows, move to a room with as few windows as possible. He's now recapping in halting Spanish.
  128. 0227:
    At a news conference, NYC Mayor Bloomberg says time for evacuation is over, everyone should now stay indoors.
  129. 0226: The BBC's Jonathan Whitney says
    I have just landed at Dulles airport in Washington DC. As you would expect, a very bumpy landing, but passengers cheered. The aircrew said this was one of the few planes to land this evening on the east coast. Rain very heavy now.
  130.  
    Justin Kenney of the NOAA
    tweets: #Irene: Evacuation orders now cover approximately 2.3 million people.
  131. 0213:
    Not everyone took the official warnings seriously. Two men enjoy the rough surf at the beach in Nags Head, North Carolina:
    Two men enjoy the rough surf at the beach in Nags Head, North Carolina, on 27 August 2011
  132. 0203:
    Oh, and a 66-year-old man is in a serious condition in hospital after falling from a ladder while trying to board up windows in Queens, New York.
  133. 0202:
    Death toll so far is at least six or seven: a 55-year-old surfer off Florida; three deaths in North Carolina - a man in Nash County after a tree branch fell on him outside his home; a 15-year-old girl in Goldsboro after the car she was in crashed at a junction where the storm had cut power to traffic lights; another man in North Carolina had a fatal heart attack while boarding up his house; up to three deaths in Virginia - an 11-year-old boy in Newport News when a tree crashed through the roof of a house; a 67-year-old man when a tree fell on a car in Brodnax; there's also reports of a man dying in Chesterfield County after a tree fell on his home.
  134.  
    Daniel Balls in Brooklyn, New York
    writes: My girlfriend and I just moved to Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. We've had to settle for candles in lanterns. We now have a mattress on the floor. Surrounding areas evacuated. We live in a loft where one entire wall is windows. Looks like we're going to have to sleep in the small bathroom.
  135. 0130:
    This is what Irene did to parts of North Carolina earlier - two men use a boat to navigate a street in the coastal town of Manteo:
    Two men use a boat to explore a street flooded by Hurricane Irene in Manteo, North Carolina on 27 August 2011
  136. 0118:
    Mayor Corey Booker of Newark, New Jersey, tells CNN that he's been going door to door warning residents to flee the storm.
  137.  
    Benjamin Richards in New York
    writes: Enjoying a melodramatic holiday visiting friends in Manhattan. Most people seem to be stocking up for the apocalypse. We bought a case of wine and some candles. We're going to bunker down tonight.
  138.  
    Don Meltz in Stockport, New York
    tweets: Current predicted path has eye passing within 40 miles of our house, with possibility it could go right over us. #irene
  139. 0107:
    In New York's Times Square, dubbed the world's crossroads, Broadway shows are cancelled, and even Starbucks and McDonald's are shut. Here's a taxi hydroplaning on 42nd Street:
    A taxi speeds by on 42nd Street at Times Square in New York
  140.  
    Governor of Connecticut Dan Malloy
    tweets: The Connecticut National Guard have been deployed around the state and their presence will increase by Monday
  141. 0102:
    New York City officials warn that Irene's winds could shatter skyscraper windows, while any storm surge in Lower Manhattan could short-circuit underground electrical cables and pipes, bringing widespread power cuts.
  142. 0057:
    New Yorkers in the crosshairs of Irene have shrugged off the potential natural disaster with their habitual sang-froid. There are a number of tweets about hot-tub parties and general indoor get-togethers to ride out the hurricane.
  143.  
    Cieran Murphy in New Jersey
    writes: This is my first hurricane since moving to the United states from East Ham, London. I have just finished securing our home. I am already exhausted, too tired to get stressed - yet still in for a long night as the storm is just hours away.
  144. 0049:
    Check out this fabulous gallery of readers' photos sent in to the New York Times. It includes, inevitably, an image of one contributor planking.
  145. 0043:
    Flood waters on a street in Maryland:
    Flood waters on a street in Maryland on 27 August 2011
  146. 0040:
    The American news magazine Gawker has published an amusing top 10 videos of TV news reporters getting blown away by hurricanes.
  147. 0012: Laura Trevelyan BBC News, New York
    The rain-drenched streets of midtown Manhattan are virtually deserted, apart from a few tourists with waterproofs and cameras. Yellow cabs cruise the empty roads, their for-hire lights on, but customers - for once on a Saturday night - are hard to come by.
  148. 0004:
    AFP news agency has raised the death toll from the storm so far to seven, including a 55-year-old surfer who couldn't resist the treacherously high surf off the Florida coast.
  149. 0003:
    Welcome to our live page following Hurricane Irene as it marauds up the east coast of the United States. Stay with us for the latest updates, reports from our correspondents on the (wet) ground and your reaction. Send us your emails, texts and tweets, and we'll publish what we can. Here's the previous live page, which ended at midnight GMT.

     http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14694087

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