Millions flee as Hurricane Irene lashes US east coast

Hurricane Irene is pummelling the US east coast after making landfall in North Carolina.



It has been blamed for five deaths in North Carolina, Virginia and Florida, as well as causing flooding and damage.



The 500-mile wide storm, with winds of around 80mph (129km/h), is moving slowly northwards. New York and other large cities are in its predicted path.



More than two million people have been ordered to leave their homes after warnings of storm surges and flooding.



New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announced on Saturday afternoon that "over a million people have left the Jersey shore in the last 24 hours".



In New York City, 300,000 people living in low-lying areas have been told to leave in an unprecedented mandatory evacuation.



However, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said many were choosing to ignore the evacuation orders.



More than 90 shelters with room for about 70,000 people have been opened but by early evening on Saturday only about 5,500 people had checked in.



"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," Mr Bloomberg warned.



"Staying behind is dangerous, staying behind is foolish and it's against the law."President Barack Obama, who cut short his holiday to return to Washington, had a conference call about the hurricane with emergency officials on Saturday.



He earlier warned Irene could be "a historic hurricane" and that everyone should take the storm seriously.



The National Hurricane Center has downgraded Irene from a category two to a category one hurricane but says winds gusting up to 90mph extend outwards some 90 miles from the eye of the storm. Tropical-force winds extend as far as 290m.



The NHC expects Irene to weaken after hitting North Carolina, but it is forecast to remain a hurricane as it moves north along the Atlantic coast on Sunday.



Irene remains a "large and dangerous" storm, US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano warned on Saturday.

'Dangerous surges'



The eye of the storm crossed the North Carolina coast near Cape Lookout at about 0730 local (1130 GMT) on Saturday - at the start of what is predicted to be a 36-hour assault on the US east coast.



Power lines have been toppled and more than 600,000 people are without electricity in North Carolina and neighbouring Virginia.



"Extremely dangerous" storm surges have been forecast in some areas state that could raise water levels by up to 11ft (3.35m).Residents hoping to ride out the storm have stocked up on food, water and fuel.



"There's nothing you can do now but wait. You can hear the wind and it's scary," one man who rode out the storm told the Associated Press.



"Things are banging against the house. I hope it doesn't get worse, but I know it will. I just hate hurricanes," said Leon Reasor in the Outer Banks town of Buxton.



In New York City, parts of Manhattan and into Staten Island are at particular risk, according to projections issued by city authorities.



At midday, the city's transport systems began to shut down. Airports are also closing.



Hospitals in affected areas have begun evacuating patients.



In Washington DC, Sunday's dedication of the new memorial for Martin Luther King Jr - which President Obama had been expected to attend - has been postponed until at least September. The power company serving the Washington area warned of "potential widespread power outages" at the weekend.