Irene US death toll still rising

29 August 2011 Last updated at 17:50 ET

Tropical Storm Irene has killed 37 people in 11 states, and authorities warn that flooding could continue for up to three days in northern US states.

More than five million people remain without power, while Vermont is reeling from its worst floods in decades.

Insurance claims from the massive storm could top $7bn (£4.3bn), a consumer group estimated.

The brunt of Irene’s impact was felt by towns and suburbs from North Carolina to Vermont.

Driving rains and flood tides damaged homes and cut power to more than three million people in New Jersey, Connecticut and New York alone.

Further damage predicted

The storm passed over the east coast at the weekend and has now moved over the border into Canada’s north-eastern provinces.

US authorities have warned the impact of the storm will be felt for some time and that some rivers had yet to crest, with some still flooding over the next two to three days.

In New York, which escaped a major disaster, transport resumed on Monday, though Governor Andrew Cuomo said dozens of bridges and roadways would need to be repaired and that some of the state’s rivers had yet to crest from flooding.

“’re going see more damage before it starts to get better,” he told reporters.

The states south of New York, where Irene struck at hurricane-strength on Saturday and Sunday have begun the arduous task of cleaning up, assessing the damage and counting the dead.

Vermont lashed

In the rural state of Vermont, the last hit before Irene passed into Canada, the storm washed away bridges and swamped the town of Brattleboro, which Governor Shumlin toured.

Touring the town, Governor Peter Shumlin said: “We’re not Manhattan, but we have human lives here in Vermont, too.”

Authorities asked people to avoid travelling in the state, and warned of significant flooding, damaged roads and downed power lines.

On Monday, Connecticut Governor Daniel Malloy said that in his state more homes were currently without power as a result of the storm than at any other time in the state’s modern history.

In many areas electricity will not be restored for the rest of the week, Mr Malloy added.

The Associated Press news agency reports that 37 people were killed in 11 states because of falling trees, ocean waves, downed power lines and raging floods caused by the storm.

Insurance pats for storm-related damage could top $7bn, the Consumer Federation of America estimated.

Claims for wind damage are expected to be one sixth of the total sum from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and claims for flood damage, one tenth, the group estimated.

As it moved north-east, Irene was downgraded to a tropical storm and then a post-tropical cyclone.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said an increase in speed was expected over the next couple of days, with the centre of the storm moving over eastern Canada on Monday.

A tropical storm warning for Canada was likely to be lifted on Monday, it added.

Back to work

The storm, downgraded from a hurricane, passed New York on Sunday.

As Irene passed Canada, a brave swimmer waded into the storm-churned waves

More than 300,000 people evacuated from low-lying areas in New York City are now able to return home.

New Yorkers were back to work on Monday, with the city’s subway network and its three main airports all reopened.

More than half the commuter rail lines running into the city were suspended or delayed amid lingering flooding and mudslides.

The US air transport network began slowly clearing a backlog after cancellations at the weekend. More than 1,400 flights were cancelled on Monday, according to Flightaware.com, compared with 7,804 on Sunday.

Airports in New York were the most hit by cancellations, but Philadelphia and Boston airports were also affected.

In Philadelphia, officials lifted the city’s first state of emergency since 1986. Several buildings were destroyed by the storm, but there were no deaths or injuries.

Further south in North Carolina, Governor Beverly Perdue said some areas of the state were still unreachable. TV footage showed fallen trees and power lines.

Officials in Virginia have begun the clear-up, but say the damage was not as bad as feared.

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