Hurricane Irene: live updates
New York braced for chaos as hurricane Irene approaches
Subway and bus systems shutting down from noon today
Mayor orders first-ever evacuation in some NYC districts
Read our latest summary here
Read our latest story on Hurricane Irene
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Big preparations are being made for Irene in New York. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who faced criticism for his handling of heavy snow in the city at the end of last year, is determined not to be caught out again. The city's creaking subway system is to close, with a shutdown starting at noon. The buses and rail systems will also stop running.
For the first time ever, parts of the city have been served with a mandatory evacuation order. This affects low-lying areas of Manhattan, including one area just three blocks from where I am plus parts of Brooklyn and all the Rockaways (a Long Island peninsula that falls within the New York city limits).
Hospitals and senior homes in the areas are being evacuated. But this doesn't mean people are legally obliged to leave, just that at the height of the storm, rescue services won't necessarily come to help.
6.44am ET: There have been some minor reports of damage so far. The end of the pier at Atlantic Beach pier at Atlantic Beach in North Carolina has just fallen into the sea, according to TV news crews there. Progress Energy, which supplies electricity in the Carolinas, is reporting that 120,000 people are without power, while Virginia-based Dominion power says 14,000 of its customers are affected.
6.30am ET: Welcome to our live! coverag e of Hurricane Irene as it tracks up the eastern coast of the United States and heads for New York. We'll be liveblogging until the power fails, and hopefully longer. I'm Matt Wells in New York and my colleagues around the city and in Washington DC will be contributing to our coverage.
Here's a summary of where we are now:
Hurricane Irene is about to hit North Carolina. Winds of around 90mph are already thrashing the shoreline. Irene has been downgraded to a category 1 hurricane, but there is still a significant risk of structural damage and flooding to the areas it hits. More than two million people along the east coast of the United States have been told to move inland. There are reports of structural damage in Beaufort and Tyrrell counties in North Carolina. Landfall of the first hurricane to hit the mainland since 2008 is expected in the next half-hour.
New York is braced for the worst as Irene threatens the city with its first hurricane in decades. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has ordered the evacuation of low-lying areas and, for the first time ever, has shut the subway and bus systems from noon today. The storm is expected to make landfall on Long Island tomorrow.
President Barack Obama has returned to the White House in Washington, cutting short his holiday in Martha's Vineyard one day early. He has urged residents in affected areas to heed evacuation notices and hurricane warnings, and has signed a state of emergency declaration for New York. "Don't wait, don't delay," he said.
Amtrak has cancelled all train services in the northeastern corridor. More than 7,000 flights have been cancelled.
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