A pedestrian crosses an open area as Hurricane Irene passes through Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina

A pedestrian crosses an open area as Hurricane Irene passes through Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina August 27, 2011. Hurricane Irene howled ashore in North Carolina with heavy winds, rain and surf on Saturday on a path threatening the densely populated U.S. East Coast with flooding and power outages. REUTERS/Randall Hill (UNITED STATES – Tags: ENVIRONMENT DISASTER)