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Hurricane Irene death toll hits 5, with boy killed by tree in Virginia

28 August 2011 01:05 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. At least five people have died -- in a car accident, by heart attack and by falling trees -- as a result of Hurricane Irene, the slow-moving but powerful swirl of wind and rain that barreled ashore in North Carolina, APA reports citing la.times.com.

As the storm moved steadily north on Saturday, heavily populated areas of Washington, D.C., and New York City braced for impact. Irene is expected to continue its northward path through New England, before weakening early Sunday morning.

Storm-related disruptions of daily life were immense: More than 2 million people were ordered evacuated from low-lying areas that were expected to be inundated by surging flood waters accompanying the nearly 450-mile wide hurricane’s northward 14 mph trek. The countryâ€™s largest subway system ground to a halt as New York City officials took precautions against flooding.