hurricane

Irene downgraded to tropical storm

A weakening Hurricane Irene was downgraded this morning as it inched through New York City and headed into New England.

Irene was packing sustained winds of about 60 mph this morning as it moved up the Eastern seaboard at a speed of 25 mph, prompting the National Hurricane Center to downgrade it from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical storm. The storm has been blamed for at least 11 deaths in six states, due mostly to car crashes and failing trees, and more than 4 million people have lost power due to the storm.

Despite the downgrade, the Federal … Read more

Hurricane Irene hits the East Coast (roundup)

The storm makes its presence felt with fierce winds and torrential downpours.

The latest on Irene, from CBS News CBS News brings you breaking news and complete coverage on Hurricane Irene as the storm sweeps along the East Coast.

Irene downgraded to tropical storm Hurricane knocks out power to 4 million people and blamed for the deaths of at least 11 people.(Posted in Digital Media by Steven Musil) August 28, 2011 10:15 AM PDT

East Coast battens down as Hurricane Irene hits New York City's subway system shut down at midday today, as the city prepared for … Read more

East Coast battens down as Hurricane Irene hits

New York City's subway system shut down at midday today, as the city prepared for the arrival of Hurricane Irene, which made landfall in North Carolina early this morning and began its expected journey up the East Coast of the United States.

Despite it's having been downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane--the least threatening on the Saffir-Simpson scale--Irene remained hazardous, with wind gusts in some places as high as 115 mph. North Carolina's Raleigh News & Observer reported that one man had been killed by a falling tree limb.

"Watching the TV folks on the beach … Read more

A social-media guide to dealing with Hurricane Irene

Sixteen-year-old Stephen Ou prefers keyboarding to skateboarding.

This isn't surprising when you learn the high school sophomore is already a serious social-media entrepreneur with six products under his belt, including a premium WordPress editor; an uberfast iTunes search engine with 250,000 users; and TwtRoulette, a sharable Twitter home timeline (Ashton Kutcher is a fan).

Undoubtedly, Ou is what you call a social-media power user. So when CNET asked him for tips on how others can best employ social-media tools when there's a disaster like Hurricane Irene looming--or after an earthquake hits, or during a family emergency--Ou came … Read more

This Day in Tech: Hurricane to test cell networks, Apple's Cook gets big bonus

Too busy to keep up with the tech news? Here are some of the more interesting stories from CNET for Friday, August 26.

As Hurricane Irene approaches and East Coast residents are on lock down, CNET offers up some of the best ways to track the storm online and even through smartphone apps.

Apple has ditched the 99-cent video rental plan, which was offered through Apple TV and iTunes. Why? CNET's Greg Sandoval said, "The Hollywood studios and TV networks don't want another Netflix. Look around. They're trying to stuff that genie back into the bottle.&… Read more

How to find the best surf: MSW Surf Forecast

Most people, when they see a hurricane coming, hunker down or move out of its path. Surfers, on the other hand, aren't like most people. To them, a hurricane is to be tracked for the swells it brings. And with an iPhone or Android phone, a surfer can keep tabs on local conditions, ready to grab his or her board and hit the water when the waves are just right.

Before we proceed any further, allow me a disclaimer, lest I be dubbed a poser by surfers reading this post. I am not a surfer. I live in New Hampshire--not exactly the world's hottest surf spot. There is, however, a small surf scene here. I live an hour from the NH seacoast and have a few friends who regularly make the trek to Hampton or Jenness to go surfing. I've tagged along with them a handful of times, and with their encouragement and large, foam board, I have successfully ridden embarrassingly small waves.

Buzz Out Loud 1540: Astronomy is a girl's best friend (Podcast)

On today's show, we discover the universe's biggest diamond floating out there in space. Plus, the FCC is investigating why cell phone networks went down during this week's East Coast earthquake, especially with Hurricane Irene bearing down on the East Coast even as we speak. Our BOL PSA to you: text, don't call. And also, be safe. Plus, Pandora makes some money and the most awkward voicemail session ever.

Storm tracker: Sites for following hurricanes

People up and down the East Coast are bracing for Hurricane Irene's arrival this weekend. When will she make landfall, and what damage might she bring to your area? Tracking a hurricane isn't an exact science, but thankfully there are a number of sites that can keep you informed.

The Queen Mother of hurricane-tracking sites is the National Hurricane Center. It serves up information straight from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), including current advisories, satellite photos, and a number of maps that show projections for wind speed and storm surge.

Weather.com is an obvious stop … Read more

Essential tech to pack in your Hurricane Irene Go Bag

I need to reprioritize the items in my Hurricane Irene Go Bag. How do I know this? Because this a.m. I found myself struggling to decide which toy my cat would prefer should we be forced to evacuate our home early tomorrow morning.

Before you go planning a disaster movie marathon this weekend, be sure to check out the NYC Hurricane Evacuation Zone map or enter your address in the Zone Finder to see if you live in an evacuation area.

And if you do live in one of the affected areas, you can download apps for both iOS and Android devices that show Doppler radar info, detailed maps, and ongoing weather warnings and satellite images for up-to-date news on the storm. But what should you pack in your emergency "Go Bag"? … Read more

Track hurricanes on your phone or online

Every year as summer is winding to a close, hurricane season ramps up here in the United States. Though meteorologists officially describe hurricane season as being from June 1 to November 30, they admit that those are not magic dates and that the bulk of severe weather occurs between August and October. Right now in late August, Hurricane Irene is headed toward North Carolina and is expected to travel northward into New England. If you live in these areas or want to track the storm, there are several Web sites as well as iOS and Android apps that give you … Read more