New Jersey town reeling from Irene

Killing dozens with strong winds and torrential rains, powerful hurricane floods huge areas of US.

Cath Turner flood pkg still

Military units in the US have been mobilised to bring water and food to stranded communities in the wake Hurricane Irene.

The death toll is now 46 in 13 states hit by Irene, having dumped more then 20 centimetres of rain in some areas – enough to trigger widespread flooding in inland places that had braced mostly for wind damage.

One of the worst hit areas is northern Vermont – lashed with significant amounts of rain as rivers burst their banks, wiping out roads and cutting off 13 towns.

Nearly 1.7 million people – across 11 states – still have no electric power.

And in New Jersey, the Passaic River set a new record when it reached its crest 6 metres above normal – leaving 3 major towns under water.

Cath Turner reports on local clean-up efforts.

Source: Al Jazeera

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