Irene floods Philadelphia, New Jersey and Vermont

Story from The Takeaway. Listen to audio above for full report.

Hurricane Irene made landfall in New York Sunday morning, downgraded to a tropical storm after hitting the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Philadelphia and New Jersey particularly hard over the weekend.

The hurricane left neighborhoods, towns and cities flooded along the eastern seaboard. Philadelphia was one of the worst hit in terms of floods, with bodies of water like the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers climbing to ten feet or more above normal levels.

Jeremy Roebuck, writer for The Philadelphia Inquirer, says river levels rose as high as 16 – 20 feet in some areas. Hundreds of thousands are without power.

New Jersey and Vermont are also experiencing Irene-triggered floods. Vermont’s governor Peter Shumlin says the storm has produced some devastated areas across the state.

“It’s quite bad over such an enormous sweep of territory … really from North Carolina all the way up to Vermont,” said Kevin Sack, national correspondent for The New York Times.

At least 21 people have been reported killed in the storm, most when trees fell on cars or homes. More than 4 million people are without power.

This morning, after being grounded through the weekend, airlines at New York City’s three major airports are readying their planes and crews for departures.

————————————————————–

“The Takeaway” is a national morning news program, delivering the news and analysis you need to catch up, start your day, and prepare for what’s ahead. The show is a co-production of WNYC and PRI, in editorial collaboration with the BBC, The New York Times Radio, and WGBH.