The Aftermath of Hurricane Irene
Billy Stinson, his wife Sandra Stinson and daughter Erin Stinson walk out to watch the sunset from the steps where their cottage once stood August 28, 2011 in Nags Head, North Carolina. The cottage, built in 1903 and destroyed yesterday by Hurrican Irene, was one of the first vacation cottages built on Albemarle Sound in Nags Head.
Hurricane Irene may have been downgraded to a tropical storm, but she lashed the East Coast with high winds and rains. At least 20 people were killed by the storm and millions are without power.
The hurricane had an enormous 800-kilometer wingspan and packed wind gusts of 115 miles/h, knocking out power to 900,000 homes and businesses along the east coast, AP reports.
New York City, which feared a direct hit by Irene, was spared with flooding limited to low-lying areas. On Sunday, New York lifted its evacuation order for 370,000 people and said subway service, shut down for the first time by a natural disaster, will be partially restored Monday.
The story you just read is not locked behind a paywall because listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Now more than ever, we need your help to support our global reporting work and power the future of The World. Can we count on you?