Tropical Storm Irene, nee Hurricane Irene, passed through New York during the night. I woke up this morning to find the power on and no immediate signs of damage in my Brooklyn neighborhood. The sun is now peaking a little through the clouds.
But in Manhattan river water is reportedly flowing through some of the streets. Thankfully, though, Con-Edison says the flooding in Lower Manhattan is less severe than expected.
The London Guardian has a great live blog on the storm. And here are the latest bulletins from CNN:
– New York City's Hudson and East Rivers overflowed
– River water began flooding into Manhattan's streets
– 3 million people are without electricity and FEMA officials say it could be days before power is restored
– Parts of outer Philadelphia were flooded as high as street-sign levels
– At least 11 have died in five states due to the storm
In Maryland, a nuclear plant was safely shut down after an "unusual event." Mass transit in New York won't be up and running until well into Monday. And NJ Gov. Chris Christie says the damage across the eastern seaboard could total "billions or tens of billions of dollars." There appears to be significant flooding in Jersey City: this photo was taken there and posted by someone named Edward Krudy on Reuters live blog of the hurricane.