Irene Update: Early Sunday

Hurricane Irene remains a huge and only slightly diminished storm after raking the East Coast from North Carolina into New Jersey.  It is just dawning on Sunday. With first light, the overnight damage will begin to be assessed from the continuing winds and rains--more than seven inches in Annapolis, Md., and up to 15 inches elsewhere--from storm surge and flooding, and from wind.  Millions are or were without power.  The Bay Bridge tunnel is flooded.  Roads are closed in the Tidewater area.  There have been ten deaths so far, most involving downed trees.  There have also been tornadoes associated with the storm.  At the moment there is a tornado watch for Long Island.

It's dawning over a very quiet New York City, where the big test will likely be around 8 a.m. EDT when high tide arrives at about the same time as Irene winds, now approaching at 75 mph with gusts over 90 mph.  Late forecasts however suggest that the feared widespread flooding in lower Manhattan may not happen, but that remains to be seen.  Another unknown is the effect of higher wind speeds higher in the air, meeting Manhattan's skyscrapers.

So far it seems preparations have paid off.  Up to 90% of Atlantic City's population evacuated.  Manhattan is shut down and few are on the streets.  President Obama was at FEMA's emergency control center.  But the danger won't be over at least until Sunday turns into Monday.  Later on Sunday, Irene moves into New England without totally relinquishing its effects on New York.  It will also be later Sunday that damage in Washington etc. can be assessed.  But it does so far seem that the Delaware/Maryland area got the worst of the storm.