NEW JERSEY

The path that Hurricane Irene, the first hurricane of the season, chose to take has caused the first-ever New York City shutdown. America's largest subway system and about five flights in the NYC area shut down around noon on Saturday, as Irene continues to churn near the East Coast.

Safety fears over the possible impact of Hurricane Irene have forced the National Football League (NFL) and other North American sporting bodies to reschedule or cancel events for this weekend.

Hurricane Irene sent East Coast shoppers into stores to stock up on essentials this week, instead of the clothes, notebooks and other supplies that retailers were counting on selling as children get ready to go back to school.

Hurricane Irene caused as much as $1.1 billion in insured losses in the Caribbean, catastrophe modeling company AIR Worldwide said on Friday, with more expected to come as the storm heads for the U.S. Northeast.

World stocks rose 1 percent and the dollar fell on Friday as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke left the door open for future U.S. economic stimulus.

Hurricane Irene makes landfall in North Carolina. 2.5 million evacuation orders are issued along the East Coast. President Obama says Irene will be 'costly.'

At least 90,000 residents on North Carolina’s coast are without power, including a hospital in Morehead City.

Hurricane Irene is about to make history, aiming at a rare strike on New York. The city is getting ready for Irene's arrival. Evacuations are underway, and the MTA is nearing noon shutdown.

As Hurricane Irene sustains its path, making landfall in eastern North Carolina at around 7:30 a.m. Saturday, the storm has weakened from Category 2 to Category 1, according to an update released by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) at 5 a.m. Saturday.

Hurricane Irene was downgraded to a Category 1 storm early Saturday but updated forecasts still show Irene is a powerful threat. The hurricane is nearing landfall in North Carolina, and models still show it should hit New York within 24 hours at hurricane strength. New York remains directly in the path of Irene on Saturday, and the storm is forecast to strike late Saturday and early Sunday at hurricane strength. But first, the Category 1 storm is within hours of making landfall in eastern North ...

Irene is bearing down on North Carolina early Saturday, preparing to make landfall. In New York, residents and officials continue preparation with evacuations and closings.

Airlines canceled nearly 8,000 weekend flights as Hurricane Irene swept up the U.S. east coast toward New York, forcing carriers to move planes to safer areas and halting services at the busiest U.S. hub.

Hurricane Irene has yet to make landfall, but barring a weather miracle, it will put a serious crimp in movie, concert and play-going.

U.S. air carriers have canceled nearly 5,000 flights this weekend as destructive Hurricane Irene threatens several large airports in New York and Washington.

Scenes from before the storm strikes

For the first time, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has ordered a mandatory evacuation of 300,000 residents of the city's costal areas as Hurricane Irene barrels up the East Coast.

U.S. airlines have cut at least 1,000 flights and are moving airplanes out of the anticipated path of Hurricane Irene, while airports are taking steps to minimize damage from the storm.

Category 2 Hurricane Irene is taking direct aim at New York City, prompting mandatory evacuations and halting ground and air transportation in several major cities. Mayor Bloomberg announced mandatory evacuation of Zone A residents.

Watches and warnings have been issued up the East Coast from South Carolina to Maine as states prepare for the impending storm that is Hurricane Irene.

Hurricane Irene is bearing down a path toward assault on the U.S. East Coast Friday. Irene is nearing North Carolina and forcing evacuations and planned closings of public transportation in New York as the I-95 corridor prepares and gets ready to hunker down for the massive storm.

New Jersey Transit will suspend all commuter train and bus services starting at noon on Saturday as the region braces for Hurricane Irene. Its three light-rail lines will shut down at 6 p.m.