East Coast grinds to halt in wake of Hurricane Irene

Hurricane Irene, now downgraded to a tropical storm, left 4 million businesses and homes without power as it swept up the East Coast over the weekend.

Virginia and North Carolina took the hardest hit from the Category 1 hurricane on Saturday, but the storm weakened as it moved further north. At least 14 people have died from various effects of the storm, including from falling tree limbs and car accidents. Tornadoes, a common side effect when hurricanes make landfall, were reported in North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware and New Jersey.

In New York, subways, buses and commuter trains were shut down and thousands were evacuated from their homes in preparation for the storm. On Sunday morning, major roads, highways, bridges and tunnels were shut down due to downed trees and flooding. Sewers overflowed and water covered the streets of Lower Manhattan while flooding at the Hudson River prompted evacuations in New Jersey.

“Winds already have caused flooding and damage to many areas,” wrote the Washington Times on Sunday. “North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island have declared emergencies. For the first time, New York City ordered people in low-lying areas to evacuate.”

The storm surge is expected to raise waters by 4 to 8 feet, prompting fears that flooding will continue to worsen throughout Sunday. “A possible storm surge on the fringes of lower Manhattan could send seawater streaming into the maze of underground vaults that hold the city’s cables and pipes, knocking out power to thousands and crippling the nation’s financial capital,” wrote the Washington Post.

The power outages may also lead to gasoline shortages, as many gas stations are unable to refill their supplies or pump gas. Despite power outages, the New York Stock Exchange plans to open on Monday morning as usual, and can run on its own generators if necessary.

Hurricane Irene is just the latest in an unprecedented string of natural disasters to barrage the globe this year alone. For more information on why such disasters are increasing, read Why ‘Natural’ Disasters?