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First death reported in North Carolina by Hurricane Irene

27 August 2011 19:43 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Hurricane Irene has caused the first death in North Carolina, where it made the landfall on U.S. mainland, local official said Saturday, APA reports citing Xinhua.

The victim was walking outside his home in a rural area of Nash County around 10:20 a.m. local time Saturday when a large tree limb hit him, an emergency official in the county said.

Paramedics were called to the scene, but the man was already dead. The official said more details will be released later.

On Friday, a man suffered a heart attack as he put plywood over the windows of his home in Onslow County, the state Emergency Management Agency confirmed.

Irene made landfall about 7:30 a.m. Saturday near Cape Lookout, North Carolina, according to the National Hurricane Center. It brought high winds, heavy rain and a flooding storm surge that cut off thousands of residents in Beaufort and in Carteret and Pamlico counties.

U.S. federal officials warned that although a little weakened after it slammed the shores of North Carolina, Irene remained " dangerous" and residents on the East Coast have to take it seriously and get prepared.