New Jersey town reeling from 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.