Obama warns storm still dangerous
28 August 2011 Last updated at 23:46 GMT
28 August 2011 Last updated at 23:46 GMT
BBC======================================================
US President Barack Obama has warned that flooding and power cuts are still a risk as Tropical Storm Irene moves away north towards Canada.
Some residents in Trenton, New Jersey, made light of the situation
US President Barack Obama has warned that flooding and power cuts are still a risk as Tropical Storm Irene moves away north towards Canada.
The storm, downgraded from a hurricane, passed New York on Sunday but Mr Obama said the danger was not yet over as swollen rivers could burst their banks.
More than 300,000 people evacuated from low-lying areas in New York City are being allowed back home.
The storm has killed at least 18 people and caused extensive damage.
More than three million people have been left without power in New Jersey, Connecticut and New York.
Manhattan avoided major damage, despite some isolated flooding.
"Many Americans are still at serious risk of power outages and flooding which could get worse in the coming days as rivers swell past their banks," Mr Obama said in a televised address from Washington.
"I want people to understand that this is not over. Response and recovery efforts will be an ongoing operation and I urge Americans in affected areas to continue to listen for the guidance and direction of their state and local officials."
He added: "I want to underscore that the impacts of this storm will be felt for sometime and the recovery effort will last for weeks or longer."
On Sunday, Irene's wind speeds eased to 50mph (80km/h). The storm was expected to drift into Canada later Sunday or early Monday.
The BBC's Steve Kingstone in New York, said insurance and rebuilding costs would run into billions of dollars.
Although the weekend was not the doomsday scenario that some had feared, Irene is leaving behind deep scars, he adds.
New York City lifted its evacuation order for 370,000 people and said it hoped to have its subway - closed for the first time by a natural disaster - operational again by Monday, although perhaps not early enough for morning commuters.
"All in all we are in pretty good shape," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.
The New York Stock Exchange said it would be open for business on Monday and officials at the 9/11 memorial at the World Trade Center site said they hadn't lost a single tree.
However, experts said the dire warnings and the evacuations had been justified.
"They knew they had to get people out early - I think absolutely lives were saved," said Max Mayfield, former director of the National Hurricane Center.
In Philadelphia, officials lifted the city's first state of emergency since 1986. Several buildings were destroyed by the storm but there were no deaths or injuries.
Some residents in Trenton, New Jersey, made light of the situationAirlines said about 9,000 flights had been cancelled but services into New York and Boston were due to resume on Monday.
Further south in North Carolina, Governor Beverly Perdue said some areas of the state were still unreachable. TV footage showed fallen trees and power lines.
Officials in Virginia began the clear-up but said the damage was not a bad as feared.
The north-eastern seaboard is the most densely populated corridor in the US. More than 65 million people live in major cities from Washington DC in the south to Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York and Boston further north.
Mr Mayfield said computer models were showing that clouds forming off the coast of Africa could threaten the US east coast in two weeks' time. The hurricane centre gave it a 40% chance of becoming a named storm over the next two days.
Irene was classified as a category three hurricane, with winds of more than 120mph (192km/h), when it swept through the Caribbean last week.
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bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14705074
But winds of 65mph still caused chaos, flooding coastal suburbs and knocking out electricity to three million homes.
At least 16 died as America’s eastern seaboard was pounded, with damage running into billions of dollars.
Up to 65million had been on high alert – the largest number of Americans ever affected by a single storm.
Thousands of flights were grounded as it lashed North Carolina, Virginia and Florida and all public transport in New York was shut down.
Millions of homes were evacuated and a nuclear reactor in Maryland was closed after being damaged by flying debris.
Last night officials were hoping that post-storm tidal surges would not flood underground power tunnels.
About a foot of water swamped roads at the South Street Seaport in Lower Manhattan and heavy rains and wind forced the closure of three bridges leading to the Rockaways peninsula facing the Atlantic.
DODGED
Further east on Long Island, sand barriers built to hold off the flooding and protect coastal businesses appeared to have failed.
The storm dumped up to eight inches of rain on the Washington area, but the capital appeared to have avoided major damage.
Rick Meehan, mayor of Ocean City, Maryland, said: “It looks like we dodged a missile on this one.”
From the Carolinas to Maine, tens of millions of people were in the path of Irene, which howled ashore in North Carolina on Saturday, bringing torrential rain, felling trees and causing widespread disruption to power supplies.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg told the eight million people who live there: “The edge of the hurricane has finally got upon us.”
In the city that never sleeps, Times Square was virtually deserted apart from emergency workers – and a handful of brave young revellers who went dancing and singing in the rain.
Broadway shows were cancelled and stores closed as most people heeded mayor Bloomberg’s warning to stay indoors.
Earlier about 370,000 city residents were ordered to leave their homes in low-lying areas – many of them in parts of Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan.
Hotel doorman Scott Baxter said: “You could see newspaper stands floating down the street.” As the centre of the storm passed over Central Park at mid-morning, floodwater reached the wheel arches of stranded cars in Manhattan, and a mini tidal wave deluged several streets of Queens.
But many New Yorkers breathed a sigh of relief after the storm didn’t come close to inflicting the kind of catastrophic damage that had been feared.
In an unprecedented move, five New York hospitals were evacuated as a precaution. The massive operation involved moving intensive care patients and premature babies still in their incubators.
Only 10 patients were kept at New York University Hospital as they were too critically ill to be moved.
Flood waters forced officials in Hoboken, just across the Hudson River, to evacuate a storm shelter. And 10 miles of steam pipes beneath New York were shut down to prevent explosions if they came in contact with cold water.
Despite officially downgrading Irene to a tropical storm, the National Hurricane Centre warned a follow-up tidal surge of up to 8ft could hit Long Island and metropolitan New York.
That could be enough to breach flood walls protecting south Manhattan.
The city’s fire department rescued dozens of flood victims and the search was continuing last night for others who may be trapped. In the Broad Channel area of Queens, rescue firefighters were using inflatable dinghies to scour bungalows that were floating down the street.
So far three babies are among those plucked to safety.
Spokesman Paul Iannizzotto said: “Some houses have been inundated with more than 5ft of water.”
Tourists fled beach towns and resort islands. More than a million people left the New Jersey shoreline and in Atlantic City casinos were dark and empty. This year has seen some of the most extreme weather in American history, with more than £21billion in losses so far from floods, tornados and heat waves.
President Barack Obama cut short his holiday on the Massachusetts island of Martha’s Vineyard to return to the White House to help organise the rescue efforts.
One man in Onslow County, North Carolina, suffered a heart attack and died while boarding up his windows.
Another in Nash County was killed outside his home after he was struck by a flying tree branch.
A young child was killed in a car crash in North Carolina after traffic lights failed because of the storm.
In Florida, two surfers lost their lives after being knocked off their boards in 10ft waves at New Smyrna Beach
And a woman in Queenstown, Maryland, was crushed to death when a chimney crashed through her roof.
Construction at the Ground Zero site of the World Trade Center came to a standstill as workers dismantled a crane and lashed down equipment. But Mayor Bloomberg insisted it would not delay the September 11 opening of the memorial to mark the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
Power company Con Edison brought in hundreds of extra utility workers from around the country to help restore electricity supplies.
A spokesman for the New York Stock Exchange said it was prepared for the worst with its own back-up generators. But many New York residents seemed to be taking it in their stride, staying off the streets but planning hurricane get-togethers and hot-tub parties.
Video artist Martin Murphy said: “We already have the wine and beer, and now we’re stocking up on vodka.
“If it lasts, we have dozens of movies ready, and we’ll play charades and we’re going to make cards that say, ‘We survived Irene’.”
Amazingly, a few New York taxis also continued to ply their trade in the rain and wind-lashed streets. Cabbie Dwane Imame shrugged defiantly as he said: “I have to keep going. I would lose too much money otherwise.”
He added: “There are still quite a few people out. I think they’re crazy – but at least it means work for me.”
Experts said last night that Irene was moving north-northeast at 25 mph as it pushes into New England and also threatens parts of Canada.
Forecasters warned of the possibility of isolated tornados in coastal areas.
And there are fears of further severe flooding over the next few days as run-off water makes its way into creeks and rivers. In many areas the ground was soggy even before the storm because of an extremely rainy August.
Pennsylvania governor Tom Corbett warned: “The rivers may not crest until Tuesday or Wednesday. This isn’t just a 24-hour event.”
Irene is the first hurricane to make landfall in the continental US since 2008 – and came almost six years to the day after Katrina ravaged New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.
Last night US weather-watchers were tracking a new threat, Tropical Storm Jose, which has formed near Bermuda.
Hurricane Irene: 16 die as tropical storm hits New York
THE Big Apple got a big ducking yesterday – and was left counting the cost as tropical storm Irene swept through.
Mercifully the one-time hurricane – nearly 500 miles across – had lost some of its power as it struck New York.But winds of 65mph still caused chaos, flooding coastal suburbs and knocking out electricity to three million homes.
At least 16 died as America’s eastern seaboard was pounded, with damage running into billions of dollars.
Up to 65million had been on high alert – the largest number of Americans ever affected by a single storm.
Thousands of flights were grounded as it lashed North Carolina, Virginia and Florida and all public transport in New York was shut down.
Millions of homes were evacuated and a nuclear reactor in Maryland was closed after being damaged by flying debris.
Last night officials were hoping that post-storm tidal surges would not flood underground power tunnels.
About a foot of water swamped roads at the South Street Seaport in Lower Manhattan and heavy rains and wind forced the closure of three bridges leading to the Rockaways peninsula facing the Atlantic.
DODGED
Further east on Long Island, sand barriers built to hold off the flooding and protect coastal businesses appeared to have failed.
The storm dumped up to eight inches of rain on the Washington area, but the capital appeared to have avoided major damage.
Rick Meehan, mayor of Ocean City, Maryland, said: “It looks like we dodged a missile on this one.”
From the Carolinas to Maine, tens of millions of people were in the path of Irene, which howled ashore in North Carolina on Saturday, bringing torrential rain, felling trees and causing widespread disruption to power supplies.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg told the eight million people who live there: “The edge of the hurricane has finally got upon us.”
In the city that never sleeps, Times Square was virtually deserted apart from emergency workers – and a handful of brave young revellers who went dancing and singing in the rain.
Broadway shows were cancelled and stores closed as most people heeded mayor Bloomberg’s warning to stay indoors.
Earlier about 370,000 city residents were ordered to leave their homes in low-lying areas – many of them in parts of Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan.
Hotel doorman Scott Baxter said: “You could see newspaper stands floating down the street.” As the centre of the storm passed over Central Park at mid-morning, floodwater reached the wheel arches of stranded cars in Manhattan, and a mini tidal wave deluged several streets of Queens.
But many New Yorkers breathed a sigh of relief after the storm didn’t come close to inflicting the kind of catastrophic damage that had been feared.
In an unprecedented move, five New York hospitals were evacuated as a precaution. The massive operation involved moving intensive care patients and premature babies still in their incubators.
Only 10 patients were kept at New York University Hospital as they were too critically ill to be moved.
Flood waters forced officials in Hoboken, just across the Hudson River, to evacuate a storm shelter. And 10 miles of steam pipes beneath New York were shut down to prevent explosions if they came in contact with cold water.
Despite officially downgrading Irene to a tropical storm, the National Hurricane Centre warned a follow-up tidal surge of up to 8ft could hit Long Island and metropolitan New York.
That could be enough to breach flood walls protecting south Manhattan.
The city’s fire department rescued dozens of flood victims and the search was continuing last night for others who may be trapped. In the Broad Channel area of Queens, rescue firefighters were using inflatable dinghies to scour bungalows that were floating down the street.
So far three babies are among those plucked to safety.
Spokesman Paul Iannizzotto said: “Some houses have been inundated with more than 5ft of water.”
Tourists fled beach towns and resort islands. More than a million people left the New Jersey shoreline and in Atlantic City casinos were dark and empty. This year has seen some of the most extreme weather in American history, with more than £21billion in losses so far from floods, tornados and heat waves.
President Barack Obama cut short his holiday on the Massachusetts island of Martha’s Vineyard to return to the White House to help organise the rescue efforts.
One man in Onslow County, North Carolina, suffered a heart attack and died while boarding up his windows.
Another in Nash County was killed outside his home after he was struck by a flying tree branch.
A young child was killed in a car crash in North Carolina after traffic lights failed because of the storm.
In Florida, two surfers lost their lives after being knocked off their boards in 10ft waves at New Smyrna Beach
And a woman in Queenstown, Maryland, was crushed to death when a chimney crashed through her roof.
Construction at the Ground Zero site of the World Trade Center came to a standstill as workers dismantled a crane and lashed down equipment. But Mayor Bloomberg insisted it would not delay the September 11 opening of the memorial to mark the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
Power company Con Edison brought in hundreds of extra utility workers from around the country to help restore electricity supplies.
A spokesman for the New York Stock Exchange said it was prepared for the worst with its own back-up generators. But many New York residents seemed to be taking it in their stride, staying off the streets but planning hurricane get-togethers and hot-tub parties.
Video artist Martin Murphy said: “We already have the wine and beer, and now we’re stocking up on vodka.
“If it lasts, we have dozens of movies ready, and we’ll play charades and we’re going to make cards that say, ‘We survived Irene’.”
Amazingly, a few New York taxis also continued to ply their trade in the rain and wind-lashed streets. Cabbie Dwane Imame shrugged defiantly as he said: “I have to keep going. I would lose too much money otherwise.”
He added: “There are still quite a few people out. I think they’re crazy – but at least it means work for me.”
Experts said last night that Irene was moving north-northeast at 25 mph as it pushes into New England and also threatens parts of Canada.
Forecasters warned of the possibility of isolated tornados in coastal areas.
And there are fears of further severe flooding over the next few days as run-off water makes its way into creeks and rivers. In many areas the ground was soggy even before the storm because of an extremely rainy August.
Pennsylvania governor Tom Corbett warned: “The rivers may not crest until Tuesday or Wednesday. This isn’t just a 24-hour event.”
Irene is the first hurricane to make landfall in the continental US since 2008 – and came almost six years to the day after Katrina ravaged New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.
Last night US weather-watchers were tracking a new threat, Tropical Storm Jose, which has formed near Bermuda.
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