'Recovery from Irene may take weeks'

US President Barack Obama warns of deteriorating conditions and flooding due to Hurricane Irene, suggesting that recovery efforts may take “weeks or longer.”


Obama, accompanied by Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Craig Fugate, made the remarks on Sunday as Irene made a landfall in New England, on its northerly path, Reuters reported.

"Many Americans are still at serious risk of power outages and flooding, which could get worse in the coming days as rivers swell past their banks," he said.

The US president added that "I do want to underscore that the impacts of this storm will be felt for some time, and the recovery effort will last for weeks or longer."
Hurricane Irene, which was downgraded to a tropical storm on Sunday, has caused power outages in over 4.5 million homes and businesses in six cities along the East Coast.

Obama went on to laud federal and state authorities for their response to the storm.

“The Department of Homeland Security and FEMA worked very closely with our state and local partners, as well as volunteer organizations, to pre-position supplies and teams of first responders along the hurricane's projected track,” he said.

The massive storm, which pounded the northeast of America on Sunday, has left at least 18 people dead and millions without power while inflicting an estimated $7-13 billion in damages.

The 805 kilometer wide hurricane, with winds of up to 185 kilometers per hour, is expected to continue moving up the East Coast into the densely populated northeastern states of Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Power cuts have affected more than 270,000 people in New York, while in New Jersey at least 460,000 residents have lost power. According to reports released by the US National Grid, 19,000-plus homes in Rhode Island have also experienced power outages as a result of the heavy winds, and 6,000-plus houses already lack power in Massachusetts.

Meanwhile, two nuclear power plants in the East Coast have been shut down by the government over safety concerns.