Hurricane Irene Update: 3 Million Without Power; 11 Lives Claimed

The sun was peaking out on New York by midday Sunday after Hurricane Irene passed through. Some 72,000 customers were left without power, but the heaviest damage to the region was in Long Island and New Jersey, where more than 800,000 homes and business were blacked out without power, according to local utility reports.

Hurricane Irene had weakened to a tropical storm when it made landfall in New York City, with winds of 65 miles per hour. One hour earlier the storm had taken a toll on New Jersey and Long Island, knocking out power for most, downing big trees, and causing flooding in the areas. The precise landfall of Hurricane Irene has not officially been determined, however.

Officials said they will make that determination through analysis later, according to the National Weather Service.

A storm surge of 3.8 feet was reported in New York Harbor, increasing total water levels to 8.6 feet, or moderate-stage flooding. Battery Park City in lower Manhattan received the brunt of that, but the damage was less than what officials had forecast as possibility for Manhattan's lowest-lying areas.

Hurricane Irene made its first landfall Saturday on North Carolina's Outer Banks, becoming the first hurricane to make U.S. landfall since Ike in 2008. Power was knocked out to more than one million homes and businesses in the Carolinas, Virginia and Maryland and the Philadelphia area experienced widespread flooding.

In all, more than three million are left without power along Irene's wake by Sunday, as the tropical storm continues up the East Coast.

Eleven people have died related to the storm.

When Hurricane Irene made landfall on Long Island, its strength was likely between Category 1 and Category 2, officials said.

Some are already estimating Hurricane Irene could become the most damaging storm to strike the New York area since Hurricane Gloria in 1985, with potential damage soaring above $15 billion.

Tornadoes were reported associated with the storm in Delaware and Virginia, damaging homes. Tornado warnings were issued early Sunday morning for Brooklyn and Queens, New York, but officials haven't been able to confirm yet if damage is associated with touchdowns. Also, Brooklyn experienced heavy flooding in some areas.

A spokeswoman for Nassau County, said Long Beach, a Long Island city, may have experienced storm surge six to 10 feet above normal. Long Beach is about 35 miles from Manhattan.

One report from Millburn, New Jersey Sunday morning said streets in the city's downtown area experienced major flooding from the storm when the Rahway River overflowed, cascading over banks. One resident said water was moving between buildings in parts of downtown Millburn.

In New York's lower Manhattan, the Hudson River overflowed, spilling onto jogging paths and into a nearby apartment building.