The death toll from Hurricane and Tropical Storm Irene has risen to at least 40 as of Tuesday, as more bodies were pulled from floodwaters. Eleven states in the U.S. east coast reported deaths from Irene, which moved out of the U.S. territory Sunday night but left a huge mess in many states.
A total of 2.85 million customers still were without power due to Irene, the U.S. Department of Energy said Tuesday.
An even bigger threat is widespread flooding caused by tidal waves and torrential rains.
Some areas of New England are getting food and water deliveries via helicopter. The airlift is underway because Hurricane Irene washed out many roads and bridges. Vermont Emergency management officials say choppers are being used to reach people in about a dozen communities isolated by widespread flooding. National Guard trucks were carrying supplies to other areas still reachable by road. Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin praised guard members for doing a terrific job. He also said recovery efforts will be followed by rebuilding with the help of the federal government.
Hurricane Irene is bringing good news for gas stations and bad news at the pump. A report from MasterCard reveals retail demand for gas rose last week for the first time in more than a month. Consumption rose as motorists on the East Coast rushed to fill their tanks before Irene hit. Demand was up two-and-a-half percent from the week prior.
That translated to bad news at the pump across the U.S. According to AAA, the national average price for a gallon of regular was just over $3.61. That’s an increase of four cents per gallon over last week. Gasoline prices jumped to $3.55 per gallon by Tuesday in St Joseph.
An elderly Holocaust survivor has drowned in flooding that followed Hurricane Irene. Eighty-two-year old Leah Stern-Gluck of Brooklyn was trapped Sunday when more than six feet of water filled the Catskills Mountains cottage where she was vacationing. One of Mrs. Stern-Gluck’s neighbors told “The New York Daily News,” “She survived Hitler, but she couldn’t survive Irene.”