HURRICANE

Hurricane Irene battered New York with ferocious winds and driving rain on Sunday, shutting down the U.S. financial capital and most populous city, halting mass transit and causing massive power blackouts as it churned slowly northward along the eastern seaboard.

Hurricane Irene could end up shutting down New York City for days. The city's subway and mass transit system closed at noon on Saturday, and ahead of Irene's arrival Mayor Michael Bloomberg said subways weren't likely to be reopened on Monday. Without a functioning subway system, New York would remain at a virtually standstill.

Hurricane Irene began to pummel Virginia on Saturday night -- killing three and leaving millions without power -- yet Virginia's governor warned the worst is still to come.

5 reasons why East Coast residents should be grateful Irene came on a weekend

Hurricane Irene began her attack on the East Coast on Saturday -- killing at least 8 and leaving more than a million people without power.

While we safely wait for this anticipated storm, social media sites become the place to pass the time. Celebrities across the country have taken to Twitter to express their thoughts on Hurricane Irene.

Hurricane Irene, the first of the 2011 season, is on a destructive path along the East Coast. Irene took three lives in North Carolina and one in Virginia. Additionally, the Category 1 hurricane has effectively closed down New York, the nation's largest city. Irene is packing winds of about 90 miles per hour and is churning over North Carolina and Virginia.

Hurricane Irene's path has left damages behind it and spurred emergency preparations ahead of it.

The city that never sleeps started shutting down at midday on Saturday, with nearly all businesses except a smattering of food and liquor stores closing and public transportation coming to a halt ahead of Hurricane Irene.

Hurricane Irene has shut New York City down. Mayor Michael Bloomberg says subway lines may not reopen Monday.

Hurricane Irene is expected to to make uninvited ports-of-call to Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York this weekend. President Barack Obama is leading the federal response effort and says the U.S. Government is prepared to meet the enormous human, resource, and infrastructure needs that the storm is likely to trigger.

Showers could start arriving Saturday afternoon. Tropical storm conditions -- with hurricane conditions possible -- for Saturday night.”

The Hurricane Irene update Saturday is not a good one for residents living along the upper U.S. East Coast. Hurricane Irene 2011 is on a path to become possibly the most destructive and disruptive storm most have seen in a lifetime lifetime, claiming lives, pouring destruction, and shutting down New York, America's largest city, before the storm even arrives.

Hurricane Irene charged up the U.S. eastern seaboard on Saturday as a weakening but dangerous storm that shut down New York City and threatened to inflict massive blackouts and flooding.

In addition, workers are moving trains and buses out of low-lying, flood-prone areas.

President Obama issued a state of emergency for Maryland on Saturday as the state's coast began to experience the first of Hurricane Irene's rain bands and deadly winds.

North Hempstead adds new areas on Port Washington peninsula to must-leave zones

Live Weather Channel coverage of Hurricane Irene 2011 was disrupted by a live streaker when reporter Eric Fisher was giving a report from stormy Virginia Beach. As rain and wind pelted down, streakers ran by in the background nude.

He has already long suggested that Americans stockpile food ahead of an inevitable global disruption in food.

The death toll for Hurricane Irene has risen to five with a child in Virginia who was struck by a falling tree. The other four deaths were in North Carolina.

Hurricane Irene 2011 is on a path to become the East Coast storm of a lifetime, claiming lives, pouring destruction, and shutting down New York, America's largest city, move before the storm even arrives. Irene has already claimed three lives in North Carolina and winds of 90 miles per hour and torrential rainfall is inflicting heavy damage.