The death toll from Hurricane Irene and the storm's aftermath continues to grow. As the day begins, The Associated Press says there are now 40 confirmed fatalities — up from 35 as of Monday afternoon. And, the AP adds, towns in New England continued to battle "epic floods and millions faced the dispiriting prospect of several days without electricity."
On the NPR Newscast, Craig Windham said that "flood waters triggered by the drenching rains of Hurricane Irene are still rising in a number of states in the Northeast." Vermont has been hit especially hard. At least three people in the state are dead and another is missing. Vermont Public Radio adds that many Vermonters are stranded and struggling to clean up.
On Morning Edition,a Brian Mann of North Country Public Radio reported on the flooding in far northern New York State, just across the border from Vermont.
Also on Morning Edition, NPR's Brian Naylor looked at how Irene's costs piling up just as the Federal Emergency Management Agency's coffers are running dry. That means FEMA is going to postpone some repair are restoration work underway in the South and Midwest, which were hit hard by tornadoes and flooding earlier this year, in order to be able to help Irene's victims.
Other Irene-related headlines:
-- "From Waterbury To Wilmington, Vermonters Shocked By Irene's Destruction." ( Burlington Free Press)
-- "Perils Lurk In Irene's Wake." ( Boston Globe)
-- In New Jersey, "Death Toll Climbs As Floodwaters Frustrate State." ( The Star-Ledger)
-- In Connecticut, "Power Crews Making Progress, But More Than 400,000 Still Out."( Hartford Courant)
-- In Rhode Island, "About 138,000 Still Without Power; Water Concerns Remain."( Providence Journal)
-- In North Carolina, "Massive Effort Restores Power For Most Customers." ( Raleigh News & Observer)
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