TRANSPORTATION was getting back to normal in most eastern states in the wake of Hurricane Irene, although some US towns still grappled with flooding and many homes were without electricity.

The full measure of Hurricane Irene's fury came into focus as the death toll passed 44, while towns in the northern US region of New England battled epic floods and millions were still without electricity.

NEW YORK CITY was slowly getting back to business as usual after Hurricane Irene, but hundreds of thousands of people who normally travel in from the surrounding area faced a tortuous commute as flooding knocked out transit routes.

OIL rose to the highest level in more than a week in New York, climbing with equities on optimism that the economy willexpand and a report that US consumer spending gained in July.

No longer a hurricane, Irene spent the last of its fury and sloshed its way into Canada early today, inflicting relatively little damage to New York but leaving a trail of treacherous flooding and millions without power along America’s east coast.

IRENE charged into New England yesterday as it weakened to a tropical storm after racing across New York city leaving the East Coast stunned, with at least 16 dead, widespread flooding and power outages for four million homes and businesses.

Irene has weakened to a tropical storm as it raced across New York City, leaving behind a stunned east coast where at least nine people died, severe flooding was widespread and four million homes were without power.

A weakened but still dangerous Hurricane Irene slammed into the New Jersey shore with 75mph winds today after dumping a foot of rain on North Carolina and Virginia, killing nine people and knocking out power to at least two million homes.

A weakened but still dangerous Hurricane Irene slammed into the New Jersey shore with 75mph winds today after dumping a foot of rain on North Carolina and Virginia, killing eight people and knocking out power to at least two million homes.

Hurricane Irene shut down New York and menaced other cities as it steamed up the East Coast of America, dumping a foot of rain on North Carolina and Virginia and knocking out power to two million homes and businesses.

Hurricane Irene opened its assault on the Eastern Seaboard today by lashing the North Carolina coast with wind as strong as 115 mph and pounding shoreline homes with waves.

Hurricane Irene has smashed into the North Carolina coast, forecasters said.

Hurricane Irene zeroed in for a catastrophic run up the US East Coast as more than two million people were told to move to safer places, and New York City ordered America’s biggest underground system shut down for the first time because of a natural disaster.

HURRICANE Irene caused extraordinary disruption Friday as it zeroed in for a catastrophic run up the Eastern Seaboard. More than two million people were ordered to move to safer places, and New York announced plans to shut down its entire network of subways for the first time because of a natural disaster.

Tropical storm-force winds from Hurricane Irene have begun lashing the east coast of the US, with the potential to cause billions of dollars in damage.

President Barack Obama says people in Hurricane Irene’s path should be prepared for the worst and take precautions now.

NEW York governor Andrew Cuomo has declared a state of emergency to prepare for the potential impact of Hurricane Irene, which could hit the state this weekend.

Thousands of holidaymakers on the US east coast have been ordered to head home as Hurricane Irene approaches.

Hurricane Irene has regained Category 2 strength with 100mph winds as it heads toward the east coast of the US.

A rapidly strengthening Hurricane Irene is heading towards the Bahamas and threatening to become a monster storm.

Tropical storm Irene strengthened into a hurricane today after it began moving across Puerto Rico, bringing torrential rains and winds and threatening to move toward the US later in the week.

RAIN has been sparse and sporadic. On the country lanes, the hart’s tongue ferns are half dead.