Hurricane Irene roared toward New York as it claimed at least five lives in North Carolina and Virginia and left nearly 1 million electricity customers in the dark, AP & dpa reported. The massive churning system covering an area roughly the size of western Europe was headed straight for New York City by early Sunday. Water levels were already lapping 30 centimeters above normal along the southern tip of Manhattan at Battery Park, according to broadcaster CNN. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg grew increasingly impatient as some residents refused to evacuate. He ordered patients from five hospitals to higher ground late Friday and the evacuation of 250,000 people from low-lying areas. Irene is carrying winds of up to 140 kilometres per hour, and poses special risk to high-rise structures, the National Hurricane Centre in Miami warned. Irene also threatens with rising river levels and storm surges, large waves and torrential rains. In anticipation, officials closed airports in New York and other cities, and the New York subway system closed down at noon yesterday. -- SPA
