Hurricane Irene leaves 650 without power in the US.
The states of North Carolina and Virginia are affected; arrival in New York is scheduled for tomorrow; the city's airports are closed; flights departing from Brazil are suspended.
Hurricane Irene left at least 650 people without power in North Carolina and Virginia, two of the region's major providers reported on Saturday. Strong winds prevented crews from assessing the extent of the damage and carrying out repairs, the companies explained.
Progress Energy reported that 274 customers were without power, mostly on the coast of North Carolina. Further north, Dominion Resources stated that 380 customers in northern North Carolina and southern Virginia were experiencing the same problem.
Consolidated Edison reported that it was considering cutting off power to all lowland areas of New York City as a precaution ahead of increased storm surge in the area. Irene is expected to reach New York City on Sunday morning.
In North Carolina, strong winds prevented workers from assessing the damage and attempting to restore power. Progress Energy reported that some work in this regard has already been done in the Wilmington area, in the southern part of the state.
The number of people affected by the power outage is expected to grow, but so far Irene has mainly affected coastal areas.