Hurricane Irene reaches US coast

Deutsche Welle

Trees were uprooted, streets were flooded and the power cut out for some 90,000 in North Carolina as Hurricane Irene blasted the east coast on Saturday.

The category one hurricane weakened slightly as it slammed into the coast with winds of more than 140 km per hour (85mph.)

Mandatory evacuation orders remain in New York as moves up the eastern seaboard towards Washington, New York and Boston.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg urged some 370,000 New Yorkers living in low-lying areas to heed the evacuation warning ahead of Irene's expected arrival late Saturday.

"We urge everyone in the evacuation zone not to wait until there are gale-force winds and driving rain to leave, not to wait until the public transportation system starts slowing down today," Bloomberg said.

"It's going to be too late. The time to leave is right now," he told a news conference, as a massive flood surge threatened America's most populous city. "This is not a joke. Your life could be in danger," he added.

The mandatory evacuation order is the first ever to have been issued in the city's history.

Flights cancelled

US President Barack Obama, who short a vacation in Massachusetts to return to Washington on Friday, has declared a state of emergency for North Carolina, Virginia, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts where evacuation warnings remain in place.

President Obama warned people to take precautions immediately

"Don't wait. Don't delay," Obama warned. "I cannot stress this highly enough: If you are in the projected path of this hurricane, you have to take precautions now."

New York has begun shutting down its massive transit system, including the subway and all area airports.

Underground rail networks, buses and passenger train services were due to be halted, with motorists urged to stay off roads and major bridges set for possible closure.

Flights to the United States from German airports were being grounded on Saturday as US authorities decided to block all flights to and from the city.

German air traffic control was preparing to reschedule flights over the coming days, with the storm expected to be among the worst in living memory. Flight delays as a result of the disruption are expected to last until at least Monday.

Author: Charlotte Chelsom-Pill (dapd, Reuters, AFP, AP)
Editor: Andreas Illmer