Three die as hurricane hits US east coast

Hurricane Irene has clobbered the US east coast, killing at least three people and paralysing air traffic before barrelling north on course for a rare direct hit on New York City.
In Newport News, Virginia a tree fell on an apartment complex, crushing an 11-year-old boy who was inside but sparing his mother, according to a city official.
In North Carolina a man died of a heart attack while boarding up his windows, another died when his car hydroplaned off the road, and a third man went missing after falling or being pushed into a river, officials said.

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The hurricane is due to roar into New York City on Sunday morning, local time.
Up to one million people have been evacuated from vulnerable areas.
Sea water has surged through beach communities on the barrier islands, ripping out piers and flooding vacation homes.
The torrential rains and high winds shut down major highways, airports, and left 300,000 people without power in eastern North Carolina.
The densely populated eastern seaboard, home to more than 65 million people, is under threat of flooding, storm surges, power outages and destruction that experts say could cost up to $US12 billion ($A11.53 billion).
"This is going to be a very serious storm, no matter what the track is, no matter how much it weakens. This is a life threatening storm to people here," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.
Bloomberg has ordered an unprecedented mass evacuation and the rare closure of the city's extensive subway system, which began when the final trains and buses left depots at noon local time.
US President Barack Obama cut short his summer vacation and returned to Washington.
On Saturday, he visited the Federal Emergency Management Agency's operations center in the capital.
Although weakened, Irene was forecast "to remain near hurricane strength as it moves near or over the mid-Atlantic states and approaches New England," the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said.
In North Carolina, Governor Bev Perdue said Irene had closed 10 major roads and breached two waste water treatment plants, although the damage assessments were preliminary. A local power company announced that 300,000 people were without electricity.
"There are flash flood warnings throughout the east," Perdue said. "We are concerned still about the storm surge after the rain begins to abate."
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano urged residents to abide by local evacuation orders, warning the "window of preparation is quickly closing."
"Even if you're not in an evacuation zone, please know this is a big storm that covers a lot of territory. Be prepared," she told CNN.
Bloomberg warned New Yorkers on Saturday not to be deceived by the storm's weakening, urging the 370,000 residents in low-lying areas under evacuation orders not to wait "until there are gale-force wind and rain to leave."
"Let's stop thinking this is something that we can play with. Staying behind is dangerous. Staying behind is foolish. And it's against the law. The time to leave is right now," he said.
Beyond the city transit shutdown, all major New York area airports were to close at noon local time, officials said.
The Miami-based NHC said Irene would likely remain a hurricane as it passed over or near the mid-Atlantic Saturday night.