Irene’s impact

The latest on what’s happening with Hurricane Irene – in its wake and in its path as it moves north along the Eastern Seaboard:

Saturday

THE STORM – Weaker but still menacing, Hurricane Irene knocked out power and piers in North Carolina, reached Virginia.

VIRGINIA COAST – Irene lashed Hampton Roads area on Virginia coast with hurricane force winds, moving north-northeast.

Ahead of the storm

NEW YORK CITY – High winds and heavy rains expected to hit New York City by Saturday night. Irene predicted to make landfall midday today as a Category 1 storm between New Jersey and Cape Cod.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Irene was bearing down on the nation’s capital, which hasn’t been hit by a hurricane in more than half a century.

STORM SURGE – Storm surges seen along coasts of Virginia, Delaware, the Jersey Shore, as well as New York Harbor and Long Island Sound.

TORNADOES – Tornado watches and warnings are in effect along the East Coast.

New York city SHELTERS – City opens more than 90 evacuation shelters with room for about 70,000 people; only about 5,500 had checked in.

TRANSIT SHUTDOWN – Public transit in Philadelphia and New York shut down ahead of Irene.

TRAVEL – Travelers across the country face days of grief as thousands of flights are canceled.

NEW ENGLAND – Irene predicted to reach northern region tonight.

Behind the storm

OUTER BANKS – Irene made its official landfall just after first light near Cape Lookout, N.C., at the southern end of the Outer Banks, the ribbon of land that bows out into the Atlantic Ocean. Shorefront hotels and houses were lashed with waves. Two piers were destroyed, and at least one hospital was forced to run on generator power.

Five hurricane- related deaths were reported in North Carolina, including the death of a man who was crushed by a limb that blew off a tree in Nash County, outside Raleigh.

SURFER KILLED IN FLORIDA – Surfer is killed off the central Florida coast after being tossed off his board by heavy waves caused by Hurricane Irene. Also, a New Jersey tourist died when he drowned in the rough surf.

TREE KILLS BOY – An 11-year-old boy was killed when a tree crashed through an apartment building in Newport News, Va. Winds were gusting well above 60 mph in the area. At least one other person in Virginia was killed by a falling tree.

N.C. FLASH FLOOD – Flash flood warnings have been canceled for North Carolina.

Associated Press