At least seven people were killed in the Outer Banks of North Carolina was flooded, and over a million homes and businesses were without electricity for Hurricane Irene began its crash course in New York today.
States as far north as Maine residents are to evacuate and prepare for failures of the hurricane, with tropical storm force winds extend outward from the center as much as 290 miles (465 km ), as the US National Hurricane Center. Residents of the metropolitan New York and beyond have been forced to stay close to home as the trains and subways stopped.
Firefighters in Chocowinity, North Carolina, could barely walk when faced with winds of 60 mph to save people from the houses whose roofs were ripped off.
"Everyone talks about New York, New York, and forgot to North Carolina," said Fire Chief Tommy Pendley in an interview. "I'll tell you, if New York is presented, very bad."
Governor of Virginia, Robert McDonnell said the storm could push water up to a maximum of eight feet as it rolls through tonight's high tide and flooding is "not significant". One hundred and roads were closed, and the tunnel in the south-east of the state and cities such as Newport News was established curfew, McDonnell said that the conference for journalists 20:00 yesterday.
The governor spoke of many houses and cars crushed by trees, but the measure would not be known until today.
"This is a very dangerous time," said McDonnell.
Deadly cyclone
There were at least five storm-related deaths in North Carolina and two in Virginia. In North Carolina, a woman was killed when a tree struck the car she drove with her husband and her child shortly after 5:00 p.m. in the County of Sampson, Sergeant. Tony Gibson of the State Highway Patrol said in a telephone interview. The man and the child survived, he said.
A girl of 15 years, Virginia beach holiday were killed in a two-car accident in Wayne County just before 6:00 at an intersection that had lost power, said Brad Deen, a spokesman State Information Centre mixed by telephone.
Another North Carolina man was found in Pitt County to the vehicle, hit a tree, and Nash County man is dead tree falling, Dee said. Onslow County man also died of a heart attack Aug. 25 in preparation for putting up plywood Irene said.
Broken Building
In Newport News, Va., was a 11 year old boy killed shortly after noon when a tree crashed into the two-storey building where he was with his mother, Kim Lee, a spokesman for the city, said in a telephone interview. The mother fled, and a crane was needed to lift the tree, she said.
Another man died in Brunswick County, Virginia, where a tree fell on his vehicle, Maribeth Brewster, a spokesman for the Emergency Operations Center of State, said in a telephone interview.
Virginia and Washington area residents are still together after a magnitude 5.8 earthquake centered on Aug. 23 at Virginia and now must face the hurricane.
District of Columbia has distributed about 5,000 sandbags to residents at RFK Stadium on August 26, until they were gone, according to the site of the city. The city issued about 6,000 more before closing the distribution of 3:00 p.m. yesterday, after running out of sandbags.
Higher Ground
Irene made landfall near Cape Lookout, North Carolina, around 7:30 ET, with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Flooding closed several main roads, has violated the treatment plants, waste water and fallen trees along the eastern part of the state, Gov. Bev Perdue said.
"There is extensive damage and infrastructure along the coast," Perdue said at a briefing at 06:00 New Raleigh.
On the Outer Banks, pushed winds approaching 90 mph west of the water of the Pamlico Bay, leaving boats stranded on mud courtyard Scott Buxton. The sea swept on a highway in Rodanthe, make this road impassable.
About 10 groups were stranded in vehicles or homes in Pamlico County at the North Carolina coast, including those who take refuge in the attic to escape rising waters, said David Spruill, County services emergency director.
A Atlantic Beach, was about 15 miles from Cape Lookout, at the end of a pier at the Sheraton Hotel swept away by waves slamming into the remaining sections.
Blink off
Dominion Resources Inc., which covers parts of North Carolina and Virginia, said that 773,552 of its customers were without electricity from 5:45 pm, with the greatest concentration of failures in the areas of Norfolk and Richmond, Virginia. Three-quarters of its customers lost power in Richmond, according to the company's Web site.
Progress Energy Inc. (PGN) reported about 247,000 customers had lost power in North and South Carolina. Duke Energy Corp (DUK) said about 11,250 of its customers in North Carolina were without electricity.
Some utilities serving the area north of Maryland, Washington and Delaware, including Pepco Holdings Inc. (POM) of the Delmarva Power & Light and Constellation Baltimore Gas & Electric, said cuts quickly rise above 56 000 when storm passed through.
New England
National Hurricane Center projections show fundamental Irene reach southern New England today.
Cape Cod a couple of Ryan Mann, and Adrian Green, to get married in a ceremony on the beach in Harwich, Massachusetts yesterday, an event that has changed from 16:00 to 12:30 that gave them 60 out of town guests to the time away from the cape in front of "our uninvited guest, Irene," Mann, 29, said in a telephone interview.
Over a million people have left New Jersey Shore is based on the order to evacuate, and 1,500 National Guard troops were sent to the Governor Chris Christie said at a press conference.
Defense Secretary, Leon Panetta, issued a prepare to deploy troops on active duty in 6500 all support services to hurricane recovery efforts if ordered.
New York City shelters have been opened in order after the 370 000 residents to leave low-lying areas and began an unprecedented shutdown of all public transport. Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority bus stops, subways and trains about five county Philadelphia. Amtrak trains do not work today, the North-East, the company said the release.
Obama Signs The Declaration Of Emergency In North Carolina
