As Tropical Storm Irene made its way along the East Coast up to New York City, Jose Morenoís parents decided they would stay at their home in Manhattan near Battery Park despite the looming winds and heavy rain the storm would bring.

Moreno, a sophomore broadcast journalism major at Syracuse University, said there was flooding from the nearby East River, but his family did not report severe damages to their home. Moreno said his mother, originally from Puerto Rico, realized the tropical stormís effects were not as severe as expected and decided to stay in Manhattan.

Moreno said because of the high-rise apartments in his area, many people decided to stay where they were, but residents in surrounding boroughs and other areas felt stronger effects due to different styles of housing, he said.

He said it is important that public transportation is restored quickly so people who rely on it can return to work.

The New York City subway had most trains running on a normal schedule Monday morning, according to an article published online by The New York Times on Monday. Other mass transit options, such as the Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North Railroad and New Jersey Transit are slowly returning to their normal schedules.

As Tropical Storm Irene left the United States and headed for eastern Canada, SU students shared stories of their family and friends preparing for and experiencing Irene.

Amber Taylor, a junior in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, said her friendís two Jeep vehicles parked outside were totaled by falling trees near Somerset County, N.J.

Taylor said she didnít feel the tropical storm was as strong as it had been forecast, but it still caused damage, especially in the South.

Long Island native Shira Stoll, a freshman illustration photography major, said she knew of people who were told to evacuate but refused to because they were not permitted to bring their pets to the shelters.

A tree fell on her grandmotherís roof but didnít cause damage, Stoll said in an email. Areas in her hometown were so flooded that someone was kayaking in a local park, she said.

ìSome of my friends said the storm was actually really fun to play in,î Stoll said.

Ireneís high winds and rain wreaked havoc on the East Coast, destroying buildings and causing power outages and flooding in some areas. Inland communities in upstate New York and Vermont are enduring the aftermath of river flooding.

In New York, 796,244 customers were without power, according to a 5 p.m. Monday update from Gov. Andrew Cuomoís office. And 616,067 customers have had their power restored across the state, the update stated.

At least 27 deaths were reported by officials: six in North Carolina, four in Virginia, five in Pennsylvania, three in both New York and Vermont, two in both Connecticut and New Jersey, and one each in Maryland and Florida, according to a CNN article published online Monday.

The total damage inflicted by Irene may reach $7 billion, with most of the loss likely coming from property in New York and New Jersey, according to an article published online by The New York Times on Sunday.

If losses indeed total up to $7 billion, Irene would be one of the ten costliest catastrophes in American history, according to the article.

brvannos@syr.edu

Published on August 29, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Breanne: brvannos@syr.edu | @bre_vann