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.

A tornado-spewing storm system that killed at least 45 people across half the US unleashed its worst fury on North Carolina, where residents mourned the dead, marvelled at their survival and began to clean up devastated neighbourhoods.