HURRICANE IRENE killed at least 35 people across ten US states over the weekend and left almost 8 million homes and businesses without electricity.
Several of those who died in the storm had gone out in boats, on surfboards or were otherwise outside watching the storm. At least two people were electrocuted after the heavy winds brought down power lines, and others died after trees fell on their homes.
The Coast Guard recorded this dramatic helicopter rescue of a woman who was knocked into the sea off Rhode Island during the storm:
State authorities are still working to alleviate flooding and working to remove fallen trees, repair collapsed bridges and roads, and restore power. Vermont experienced the worst flooding in a century, according to its governor Peter Shumlin.
Authorities in Pennsylvania say almost all power will have been reconnected by Wednesday, while it could take a day or two longer for Washington DC, New York and Virginia to restore outages.
Airlines are beginning to reschedule the flights cancelled ahead of Hurricane Irene, but it could take more than a week to clear the backlog of thousands of stranded travellers. Almost 12,000 flights were grounded over the weekend because of the storm, and a further 1,600 were cancelled today.
- Additional reporting by the AP
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