How to plan for hurricanes when you travel

Cloe Poisson, Hartford Courant

Shayna Weinstein gets a hug from her dad, Andy Weinstein, as they prepare to leave what's left of their summer cottage (at left) on Cosey Beach in East Haven, that was destroyed by Tropical Storm Irene on Sunday. The storm, which completely flattened the house, struck on Shayna's 16th birthday. "It's the worst birthday I've ever had," she said. The Weinsteins live in Woodbridge.

RED HUBER, ORLANDO SENTINEL

Captain Justin McVicker, lifeguard, Brevard County Fire Ocean Rescue waers clothing to protect him from blowing sand Thursday, August 25, 2011 from effects of Hurricane Irene.

Joe Burbank, Orlando Sentinel

A beach-goer checks out the massive waves crashing into the jetty at Ponce Inlet, Fla., Friday, August 26, 2011, as Hurricane Irene brings huge surf and strong winds to Florida's central coast.

TIMOTHY A. CLARY, AFP/Getty Images

A worker removes panels from one of the Luna Park amusement rides at Coney Island on Aug. 26, 2011 in New York as people prepare for Hurricane Irene. Millions of people on the U.S. east coast braced for the hurricane, a massive storm officials fear will cause widespread flooding and dangerous conditions up the seaboard. Officials from North Carolina to New York declared states of emergency as tens of thousands of the most vulnerable residents were ordered to higher ground as Irene raced toward the U.S. mainland.

ERIKA SANTELICES, AFP/Getty Images

People walk on a battered beach in Nagua on August 23, 2011 as winds and rain of Hurricane Irene are still lashing the northern coast of the island of Hispaniola, which the Dominican Republic shares with Haiti. The category two hurricane skirted the north coast of the Dominican Republic with sustained winds of 160 km per hour and moving in a northwesterly direction.

Cloe Poisson, Hartford Courant

Tropical Storm Irene's fury is evident in this house on Cosey Beach in East Haven. The storm ripped off part of the bottom floor and exposed an upstairs bedroom.

ERIKA SANTELICES, AFP/Getty Images

A woman and her son wade through the water in the battered town of Nagua on August 23, 2011 as winds and rain of Hurricane Irene are still lashing the northern coast of the island of Hispaniola, which the Dominican Republic shares with Haiti. The category two hurricane skirted the north coast of the Dominican Republic with sustained winds of 160 km per hour and moving in a northwesterly direction. Some 11000 people were evacuated and placed in shelters or private homes.

Cloe Poisson, Hartford Courant

Shayna Weinstein gets a hug from her dad, Andy Weinstein, as they mourn the loss of their summer cottage (at right in background) on Cosey Beach in East Haven, that was destroyed by Tropical Storm Irene on Sunday. The storm, which completely flattened the house, struck on Shayna's 16th birthday. "It's the worst birthday I've ever had," she said. The Weinsteins live in Woodbridge.

TIMOTHY A. CLARY, AFP/Getty Images

A worker removes panels from one of the Luna Park amusement rides at Coney Island on Aug. 26, 2011 in New York as people prepare for Hurricane Irene. Millions of people on the U.S. east coast braced for the hurricane, a massive storm officials fear will cause widespread flooding and dangerous conditions up the seaboard. Officials from North Carolina to New York declared states of emergency as tens of thousands of the most vulnerable residents were ordered to higher ground as Irene raced toward the U.S. mainland.

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

A person walks down a street in Brooklyn during heavy rain and winds on Aug. 28 in New York City.

Red Huber, Orlando Sentinel

Surfers take advantage of the 8ft- to 10ft waves Friday, August 26, 2011 from the effects of Hurricane Irene at Cocoa Beach Pier.

ERIKA SANTELICES, AFP/Getty Images

A girl walks along a beach carpeted with debris in the battered town of Nagua on August 23, 2011 as winds and rain of Hurricane Irene are still lashing the northern coast of the island of Hispaniola, which the Dominican Republic shares with Haiti. The category two hurricane skirted the north coast of the Dominican Republic with sustained winds of 160 km per hour and moving in a northwesterly direction. Some 11,000 people were evacuated and placed in shelters or private homes.

Joe Raedle, Getty Images

Senior hurricane specialist Lixion Avila studies computer models as he tracks Hurricane Irene at the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Irene is the first hurricane of the 2011 Atlantic season with winds at 80 mph and it might hit the East Coast later this week with higher winds projected.

STEVE NESIUS, REUTERS

Russell Bauer ties down his trunk after buying a portable generator as he prepares for the expected landfall of Hurricane Irene in Morehead City, North Carolina Aug. 26, 2011.

Red Huber, Orlando Sentinel

Captain Scott Dowling, Volusia County Beach Patrol drags a speed limit sign out of the water as high tide approaches Daytona Beach. look at what might happen to Central florida Beaches as Hurricane Irene passes by.

NASA, Getty Images

In this handout GOES-13 satellite image provided by the NASA, Hurricane Irene churns on August 25, 2011 in the Caribbean Sea. Irene, now a Category 3 storm with winds of 115 miles per hour, is projected to become Category 4 storm as it moves toward the eastern seaboard of the U.S.

ERIKA SANTELICES, AFP/Getty Images

Raging waves batter against the shore in the seafront in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on August 23, 2011, after the passage of Hurricane Irene. Hurricane Irene was downgraded on Tuesday as it lashed the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean, but forecasters warned it could still regain power as it approaches the U.S. mainland.

Patrick Raycraft, Hartford Courant

Dave Calderoni helps to clean up Sanditz Travel in the Forestville section of Bristol. Flood waters have quickly receded along East Main Street. Clean-up efforts statewide are underway in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene.

ERIKA SANTELICES, AFP/Getty Images

A woman watches from a beach in Santo Domingo on August 22, 2011, while the country waits for the imminent arrival of Hurricane Irene in the northern coast. Hurricane Irene is moving towards the island of Hispaniola putting the Dominican Republic on high alert, as the newly-strengthened Hurricane bore down on the Caribbean country, bringing gale-force winds and pounding rain.

ERIKA SANTELICES, AFP/Getty Images

A girl stands on the front door of her house in the battered town of Nagua on August 23, 2011 as winds and rain of Hurricane Irene are still lashing the northern coast of the island of Hispaniola, which the Dominican Republic shares with Haiti. The category two hurricane skirted the north coast of the Dominican Republic with sustained winds of 160 km per hour and moving in a northwesterly direction. Some 11000 people were evacuated and placed in shelters or private homes.

Brendan McDermid, Reuters

Friends watch as a man slides in the puddles from the rain of Hurricane Irene in New York's Times Square.

CHUCK LIDDY, MCT

National Park Service Ranger Jeff Goad views the destruction to N.C. Hwy 12 on the north edge of Rodanthe, North Carolina due to the storm surge from Hurricane Irene.

Bettina Hansen, Hartford Courant

The day after Hurricane Irene swept through Connecticut, the Cosey Beach area of East Haven showed heavy damage. National Guard troops were deployed to the area and residents are being allowed to return to their homes on Monday morning.

Bettina Hansen, Hartford Courant

The day after Hurricane Irene swept through Connecticut, the National Guard started letting residents back into their homes in the Cosey Beach section of East Haven.

RED HUBER, ORLANDO SENTINEL

Ed Rolen, 40, of Panama City Beach, Florida drove to Cocoa Beach to Kite surf Thursday, August 25, 2011 to take advantage of high winds and surf from the effects of Hurricane Irene.

ERIKA SANTELICES, AFP/Getty Images

Raging waves batter against the seafront in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on August 23, 2011, after the passage of Hurricane Irene. Hurricane Irene was downgraded on Tuesday as it lashed the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean, but forecasters warned it could still regain power as it approaches the U.S. mainland.

Robert Nickelsberg, Getty Images

Local residents of Red Hook bicycle through flooded streets near the Fairway Supermarket August 28, 2011 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. While Hurricane Irene has now been downgraded to a tropical storm, it has knocked out power to more than 3 million people and is attributed to 15 deaths as it travels up the Eastern seaboard.

STEVE NESIUS, REUTERS

Lowe's employees Ronnie Dennis (L) and Sam Collins (R) stock battery-powered lanterns inside the store as residents continue to prepare for the landfall of Hurricane Irene in Morehead City, N.C. on Aug. 26, 2011.

Red Huber, Orlando Sentinel

Surfers take advantage of the 8ft- to 10ft waves Friday, August 26, 2011 from the effects of Hurricane Irene at Cocoa Beach Pier. (RedHuber/OrlandoSentinel)

Red Huber, Orlando Sentinel

Surfers take advantage of the 8ft- to 10ft waves Friday, August 26, 2011 from the effects of Hurricane Irene at Cocoa Beach Pier.

Red Huber, Orlando Sentinel

Surfers take advantage of the 8ft- to 10ft waves Friday, August 26, 2011 from the effects of Hurricane Irene at Cocoa Beach Pier.

JOE BURBANK, ORLANDO SENTINEL

Visitors to Daytona Beach walk in the rain near Main Street early Friday, August 26, 2011, as Hurricane Irene brings massive surf and strong winds to Florida's central Florida coast.

Molly Riley/Reuters

Flood waters caused by Hurricane Irene raise on a residential street in Ocean City, Md. on Aug. 27.

Jeffrey F. Bill, MCT

A tree is seen on a vehicle Sunday, August 28, 2011 in Catonsville, Md., after Hurricane Irene passed through the area.

Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images

A New York City Police Department car drives through water at an intersection near Battery Park in Lower Manhattan in New York on Aug. 28.

ERIKA SANTELICES, AFP/Getty Images

A man collects wood from a beach carpeted with debris in the battered town of Nagua on August 23, 2011 as winds and rain of Hurricane Irene are still lashing the northern coast of the island of Hispaniola, which the Dominican Republic shares with Haiti. The category two hurricane skirted the north coast of the Dominican Republic with sustained winds of 160 km per hour and moving in a northwesterly direction. Some 11000 people were evacuated and placed in shelters or private homes.

RED HUBER/ORLANDO SENTINEL

Surfers take advantage of the 8ft to 10ft waves from the effects of Hurricane Irene at Cocoa Beach Pier.

Joe Raedle, Getty Images

The normally bustling beginning of rush hour is seen at Grand Central station as the city continues to try to get back to normal one day after Tropical Storm Irene swept through on Aug. 29, 2011 in New York, NY. The rail system continues to try and reopen but is on a limited schedule this morning due to the damage and flooding caused when the Tropical Storm passed through.

Elizabeth Robertson, MCT

An unidentified person walks past a fallen light post Sunday, August 28, 2011 in Atlantic City, New Jersey after Hurricane Irene passed through the area.

Cloe Poisson, Hartford Courant

Len Cottiero, formerly of Branford, gestures as he talks to a reporter about the devastation on Cosey Beach in East Haven from Tropical Storm Irene's wrath on Sunday. Cottiero's daughter lives in the family's cottage just behind the damaged ones and her house was spared. But about 20 other houses were severely damaged or totally destroyed. "In 70 years we've never seen anything like this," he said. Cottiero currently lives in Florida.

JIM WATSON, AFP/Getty Images

Mark Wade (R) chases his friend Craig Busick (C) as he surfs a large puddle in front of the Board of Education in Centreville, MD, August 28, 2011, after Hurricane Irene.

Jeffrey F. Bill, MCT

Sean Ruane begins cleanup Sunday, August 28, 2011, in Catonsville, Md., after Hurricane Irene passed through the area.

Cloe Poisson, Hartford Courant

Richard Filipelli tries to salvage what he can from the apartment he rented with his fiance on the bottom floor of a house on Cosey Beach Road in East Haven that collapsed under the storm surge of Tropical Storm Irene on Sunday. Residents of the devastated community came back to see what they could salvage. About 20 homes were severely damaged or completely destroyed.

TIMOTHY A. CLARY, AFP/Getty Images

Private ambulances prepare for the transport of patients from Coney Island Hospital Aug. 26, 2011 as evacuations began in low-lying parts of New York early Friday. Forecasters predict Hurricane Irene to move up the U.S. east coast, where it could hit New York City by late August 27 or 28.

Red Huber, Orlando Sentinel

Captain Scott Dowling, drags a speed limit sign out of the water as high tide approaches Daytona Beach. look at what might happen to Central florida Beaches as Hurricane Irene passes by.

Lucas Jackson, Reuters

Flooding triggered by storm surge and winds from Hurricane Irene soaks the streets in Montauk, N.Y. Hurricane Irene battered New York with heavy winds and driving rain on Sunday, knocking out power and flooding some of Lower Manhattan's deserted streets even as it lost some of its strength. Irene was downgraded to a tropical storm on Sunday morning but was still sending waves crashing onto shorelines and flooding coastal suburbs.

Red Huber, Orlando Sentinel

Surfers take advantage of the 8ft- to 10ft waves Friday, August 26, 2011 from the effects of Hurricane Irene at Cocoa Beach Pier.

Cloe Poisson, Hartford Courant

Andy Weinstein, of Woodbridge, peers into what was once the living room of his family's summer cottage on Cosey Beach Avenue in East Haven. The Weinsteins bought the house four years ago after renting for several seasons. "We plan to rebuild," said Paige Weinstein, Andy's wife. Several of the houses along the beach were destroyed by Tropical Storm Irene on Sunday.

ERIKA SANTELICES, AFP/Getty Images

A boy uses a bicycle on a flooded street in Santo Domingo on August 22, 2011, while the country waits for the imminent arrival of Hurricane Irene in the northern coast. Hurricane Irene is moving towards the island of Hispaniola putting the Dominican Republic on high alert, as the newly-strengthened Hurricane bore down on the Caribbean country, bringing gale-force winds and pounding rain.

Red Huber, Orlando Sentinel

Oliver Berlic, 26, of Cocoa Beach flies through air Thursday, August 25, 2011 while kite surfing as high winds and surf blow from the effects of Hurricane irene.

Kena Betancur / Reuters

A man walks in a flooded street in Hoboken, N.J. on Aug. 28.

Mario Tama, Getty Images

People stand on the beach at Coney Island at sunrise on Aug. 29, 2011 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Hurricane Irene wreaked havoc on the East Coast and slowly weakened into a tropical storm before making a third landfall at Coney Island yesterday. Irene left at least 24 dead across eight states.

ANA MARTINEZ, REUTERS

A crop plantation is flooded after Hurricane Irene hit the municipality of Loiza, Aug. 22, 2011. Around 10 inches of rain was reported.

Bettina Hansen, Hartford Courant

Nick Krashefski of Hillside Avenue in Milford looks out at the water after Hurricane Irene destroyed his home Sunday Aug. 28, 2011. 'It's inevitable, It's gonna happen,' Krashefski said about the damage. 'The most important thing is, no one got hurt.' Several beachfront homes along Hillside avenue sustained considerable damage, as well as the Woodmont on the Sound neighborhood.

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

A police car drives around downed trees in Brooklyn during heavy rain and winds on Aug. 28 in New York City.

Joe Burbank, Orlando Sentinel

Beach-goers photograph the massive waves crashing into the jetty at Ponce Inlet, Fla., Friday, August 26, 2011, as Hurricane Irene brings huge surf and strong winds to Florida's central coast.

Photo by NASA via Getty Images

In this handout image provided by NASA acquired by the crew of the International Space Station, recently-formed Hurricane Irene is seen August 22, 2011 over the coastal waters of Venezuela. At the time Irene was packing winds of 80mph and was just north of the Mona Passage between Hispaniola and Puerto Rico. Although no eye was visible at this time, the storm was strengthening and exhibited the size and structure of a classic "Cape Verde" hurricane as it tracked west-northwestward towards the southern Bahamas.

Cloe Poisson, Hartford Courant

Piles of rubble are all that's left of a house along Cosey Beach in East Haven after Tropical Storm Irene barreled through the state on Sunday. About 20 homes were destroyed or severely damaged including this one in the center. The cottage at right, built in 1895, has been in the Auerbach family since 1943. The Auerbachs live in Woodbridge. The house is a total loss.

Bettina Hansen, Hartford Courant

The day after Hurricane Irene swept through Connecticut, the Cosey Beach area of East Haven showed heavy damage. National Guard troops were deployed to the area and residents are being allowed to return to their homes on Monday morning.

Bettina Hansen, Hartford Courant

The day after Hurricane Irene swept through Connecticut, the Brazos section of Cosey Beach in East Haven showed heavy damage and beach erosion. Firefighter Robert Boulem was going around the neighborhood telling residents to steer clear of power lines, and not to run generators because they might put power back in the downed lines. Residents said that while the National Guard was deployed to the other side of Cosey Beach, they had received no assistance from Guard troops or police as of Monday morning.

Red Huber, Orlando Sentinel

Surfers take advantage of the 8ft- to 10ft waves Friday, August 26, 2011 from the effects of Hurricane Irene at Cocoa Beach Pier.

Red Huber, Orlando Sentinel

Surfers take advantage of the 8ft- to 10ft waves Friday, August 26, 2011 from the effects of Hurricane Irene at Cocoa Beach Pier.

Red Huber, Orlando Sentinel

Surfers take advantage of the 8ft- to 10ft waves Friday, August 26, 2011 from the effects of Hurricane Irene at Cocoa Beach Pier.

MARK MIRKO, MCT

Chris Connelly walks past homes damaged by Hurricane Irene Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011 in Fairfield Beach, Conn.

Chip East / Reuters

Waves and storm surge pound the boardwalk and the beach at first light as Hurricane Irene slams into Asbury Park, N.J. on Aug. 28.

EMMANUEL DUNAND, AFP/Getty Images

A woman and a child sit on a public bench amid floodwater on Rockway Beach after Hurricane Irene swept through New York City on Aug. 28, 2011.

MARK MIRKO, Hartford Courant

John Robotti helps his daughter Alexis Robotti over a pile of debris left by Hurricane Irene at the entrance to the Birdseye Boat Launch along the Housatonic River in Stratford. Robotti said he was at the site last night before the storm and parked his car at the now submerged posts behind him (right).

ERIKA SANTELICES, AFP/Getty Images

A boy stands on a boat after it was taken out of the sea on a beach in Santo Domingo on August 22, 2011, while the country waits for the imminent arrival of Hurricane Irene in the northern coast. Hurricane Irene is moving towards the island of Hispaniola putting the Dominican Republic on high alert Monday as the newly-strengthened Hurricane bore down on the Caribbean country, bringing gale-force winds and pounding rain.

Kena Betancur / Reuters

People walk in a flooded street in Hoboken, N.J. on Aug. 28.

ERIKA SANTELICES, AFP/Getty Images

Two young ladies wade through the water in the battered town of Nagua on August 23, 2011 as winds and rain of Hurricane Irene are still lashing the northern coast of the island of Hispaniola, which the Dominican Republic shares with Haiti. The category two hurricane skirted the north coast of the Dominican Republic with sustained winds of 160 km per hour and moving in a northwesterly direction. Some 11,000 people were evacuated and placed in shelters or private homes.

Mike Segar / Reuters

Car drives into a flooded area in lower Manhattan as Hurricane Irene closed in on New York City on Aug. 28.

Cloe Poisson, Hartford Courant

Claudio Romano packs up memories in the beach home he shares with his wife of 45 years, Gina, on Cosey Beach in East Haven, after it was severely damaged by Tropical Storm Irene on Sunday. The Romanos came back Monday to try and salvage what they could from the condenmed structure. The Romanos have owned the house since 1988 and had never seen a storm like this one.

Robert Nickelsberg, Getty Images

A local resident of Red Hook, Betty Walsh, crosses a flooded street in Red Hook August 28, 2011 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. While Hurricane Irene has now been downgraded to a tropical storm, it has knocked out power to more than 3 million people and is attributed to 15 deaths as it travels up the Eastern seaboard.

Bettina Hansen, Hartford Courant

The day after Hurricane Irene swept through Connecticut, Melba street in Milford showed heavy damage.

Bettina Hansen, Hartford Courant

The day after Hurricane Irene swept through Connecticut, the Cosey Beach area of East Haven showed heavy damage. National Guard troops were deployed to the area and residents are being allowed to return to their homes on Monday morning. The view is from The Village at Mariner's Point, a retirement community on South Shore Drive.

Bettina Hansen, Hartford Courant

he day after Hurricane Irene swept through Connecticut, the Brazos section of Cosey Beach in East Haven showed heavy damage. East Haven Fire crews were assessing gas leaks and building stability. Residents said that while the National Guard was deployed to the other side of Cosey Beach, they had received no assistance from Guard troops or police as of Monday morning.

JOE BURBANK, ORLANDO SENTINEL

Waves pound the Main Street Pier in Daytona Beach early Friday, August 26, 2011, as Hurricane Irene brings massive surf and strong winds to Florida's Volusia coast.

MLADEN ANTONOV, AFP/Getty Images

Graffiti on a window protection plate reads "I survived Irene" in the old town of Alexandria, Va., August 28, 2011.

Scott Olson/Getty Images

Mark Roberts walks his dog Molly down a street littered with debris left behind in the wake of Hurricane Irene on Aug. 28 in Kill Devil Hills, N.C.

JOE BURBANK, ORLANDO SENTINEL

Waves pound the Main Street Pier in Daytona Beach early Friday, August 26, 2011, as Hurricane Irene brings massive surf and strong winds to Florida's Volusia coast.

Bettina Hansen, Hartford Courant

The day after Hurricane Irene swept through Connecticut, the Brazos section of Cosey Beach in East Haven showed heavy damage and beach erosion. Residents said that while the National Guard was deployed to the other side of Cosey Beach, they had received no assistance from Guard troops or police as of Monday morning.

Joe Burbank, Orlando Sentinel

Surfers check out the massive waves at Ponce Inlet, Fla., Friday, August 26, 2011, as Hurricane Irene brings huge surf and strong winds to Florida's central coast.

RED HUBER, ORLANDO SENTINEL

At dawn onlookers take pictures of the surf Friday, August 26, 2011 next to the Cocoa Beach Pier as hurricane Irene chugs to the northwest off the east coast.

Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images

Gary Niren surveys a tree that fell on the house he rents as a result of Hurricane Irene on Aug. 28 in Virginia Beach, Va.

Bettina Hansen, Hartford Courant

The day after Hurricane Irene swept through Connecticut, the Brazos section of Cosey Beach in East Haven showed heavy damage. East Haven Fire crews were assessing gas leaks and building stability. Residents said that while the National Guard was deployed to the other side of Cosey Beach, they had received no assistance from Guard troops or police as of Monday morning.

Red Huber, Orlando Sentinel

Oliver Berlic, 26, of Cocoa Beach flies through air Thursday, August 25, 2011 while kite surfing as high winds and surf blow from the effects of Hurricane irene.

ANA MARTINEZ, REUTERS

A man sits outside his home after Hurricane Irene hit the municipality of Loiza, at the north east side of the Caribbean Island, in Loiza Aug. 22, 2011.

Joe Burbank, Orlando Sentinel

A beach-goer photographs the massive waves crashing into the jetty at Ponce Inlet, Fla., Friday, August 26, 2011, as Hurricane Irene brings huge surf and strong winds to Florida's central coast.

Joe Burbank, Orlando Sentinel

A beach-goer checks out the massive waves crashing into the jetty at Ponce Inlet, Fla., Friday, August 26, 2011, as Hurricane Irene brings huge surf and strong winds to Florida's central coast.

Patrick Raycraft, Hartford Courant

"Where do you start? We don't even know where to turn for help," says CRC (Computer Repair Center) store manager Jim Civitello as he begins to clean up the mess Monday morning at the East Main Street insesection in the Forestville section of Bristol. Civitello and owner Neil Pace have contact FEMA and the Bristol mayor's office. CRC and other Forestville businesses sustained heavy flood damage from Tropical Storm Irene. Most flooding has receded in Bristol. Clean-up efforts are underway statewide in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene. Pace says he is uninsured.

JOE BURBANK, ORLANDO SENTINEL

Visitors to Daytona Beach walk in the rain near Main Street early Friday, August 26, 2011, as Hurricane Irene brings massive surf and strong winds to Florida's central Florida coast.

Mario Tama, Getty Images

People stand on the beach at Coney Island at sunrise on Aug. 29, 2011 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Hurricane Irene wreaked havoc on the East Coast and slowly weakened into a tropical storm before making a third landfall at Coney Island yesterday. Irene left at least 24 dead across eight states.

JOHN ROTTET, MCT

A surfer passes the broken end of the Bogue Inlet Fishing Pier in Emerald Isle, NC on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011 after Hurricane Irene passed through the area.

JOE BURBANK, ORLANDO SENTINEL

Visitors to Daytona Beach walk in the rain near Main Street early Friday, August 26, 2011, as Hurricane Irene brings massive surf and strong winds to Florida's central Florida coast.

RED HUBER, ORLANDO SENTINEL

At dawn Richard Jackson, Salisbury, NC uses a metal detector Friday, August 26, 2011 next to the Cocoa Beach Pier as hurricane Irene chugs to the northwest off the east coast. "Just trying to find some treasure.", said Jackson.

Red Huber, Orlando Sentinel

Surfers take advantage of the 8ft- to 10ft waves Friday, August 26, 2011 from the effects of Hurricane Irene at Cocoa Beach Pier. (RedHuber/OrlandoSentinel)

Patrick Raycraft, Hartford Courant

On Whetten Road in West Hartford, a large, downed oak tree has taking down utility lines and is still blocking street access. Clean-up efforts are underway statewide in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene.

Ed Betz, MCT

A tattered flag flaps in the wind just south of Montauk Highway in Hampton Bays, New York, Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011, after Hurricane Irene passed through the area.

Jeffrey F. Bill, MCT

A large tree limb is seen in this pool Sunday, August 28, 2011, in Catonsville, Md., after Hurricane Irene passed through the area.

Robert Nickelsberg, Getty Images

Local residents of Red Hook check their warehouse space along flooded streets August 28, 2011 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. While Hurricane Irene has now been downgraded to a tropical storm, it has knocked out power to more than 3 million people and is attributed to 15 deaths as it travels up the Eastern seaboard.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Water surrounds a home as Hurricane Irene arrives on Aug. 28 in Southampton, N.Y.

Bettina Hansen, Hartford Courant

The day after Hurricane Irene swept through Connecticut, the Brazos section of Cosey Beach in East Haven showed heavy damage and beach erosion. Crews from Southern Connecticut Gas Company and the Regional Water Authority were taking stock of damage. This home was swept right off its pilings. Residents said that while the National Guard was deployed to the other side of Cosey Beach, they had received no assistance from Guard troops or police as of Monday morning.

Joe Raedle, Getty Images

The normally bustling beginning of rush hour is seen at Grand Central station as the city continues to try to get back to normal one day after Tropical Storm Irene swept through on Aug. 29, 2011 in New York, New York. The rail system continues to try and reopen but is on a limited schedule this morning due to the damage and flooding caused when the Tropical Storm passed through.

Cloe Poisson, Hartford Courant

A slate slab is one of the few items Andy Weinstein, of Woodbridge, can recognize after the his family's summer cottage was flattened by Tropical Storm Irene on Sunday. Weinstein had recently paved the beach-side entrance to the house with the slate slabs. About 20 homes were severely damaged or completely destroyed in the storm.

Red Huber, Orlando Sentinel

Surfers take advantage of the 8ft- to 10ft waves Friday, August 26, 2011 from the effects of Hurricane Irene at Cocoa Beach Pier.

Bettina Hansen, Hartford Courant

The day after Hurricane Irene swept through Connecticut, the Cosey Beach area of East Haven showed heavy damage. National Guard troops were deployed to the area and residents are being allowed to return to their homes on Monday morning. The view is from The Village at Mariner's Point, a retirement community on South Shore Drive.

Joe Raedle, Getty Images

A sign indicates suspended train service at Grand Central station as the city continues to try to get back to normal one day after Tropical Storm Irene swept through on Aug. 29, 2011 in New York, New York. The rail system continues to try and reopen but is on a limited schedule this morning due to the damage and flooding caused when the Tropical Storm passed through.

Red Huber, Orlando Sentinel

Oliver Berlic, 26, of Cocoa Beach flies through air Thursday, August 25, 2011 while kite surfing as high winds and surf blow from the effects of Hurricane irene.

Joe Burbank, Orlando Sentinel

Volusia County lifeguard Shastin Nagai puts on a sweatshirt as winds kick up Friday, August 26, 2011, with Hurricane Irene bringing massive surf and strong winds to Florida's Volusia coast.

Joe Burbank, Orlando Sentinel

A beach-goer checks out the massive waves crashing into the jetty at Ponce Inlet, Fla., Friday, August 26, 2011, as Hurricane Irene brings huge surf and strong winds to Florida's central coast.

Cloe Poisson, Hartford Courant

A man surveys the damage to a three-story home that collapsed during Tropical Storm Irene Sunday on Cosey Beach in East Haven. About 20 homes were severely damaged or totally destroyed during the destructive storm.

RED HUBER, ORLANDO SENTINEL

Ed Rolen, 40, of Panama City Beach, Florida drove to Cocoa Beach to Kite surf Thursday, August 25, 2011 to take advantage of high winds and surf from the effects of Hurricane Irene.

Joe Burbank, Orlando Sentinel

A beach-goer checks out the massive waves crashing into the jetty at Ponce Inlet, Fla., Friday, August 26, 2011, as Hurricane Irene brings huge surf and strong winds to Florida's central coast.

Bettina Hansen, Hartford Courant

One of the beachfront homes closest to the water along Hillside Avenue in Milford is heavily damaged after Hurricane Irene ripped through the area Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011. Several homes along Hillside avenue sustained considerable damage, as well as the Woodmont on the Sound neighborhood.

ALLISON JOYCE, REUTERS

Shoppers stock up on bottled water at a Stop and Shop at Rockaway Beach in New York on Aug. 26, 2011. As North Carolina braced on Friday for a direct hit from Hurricane Irene, cities along the East Coast were on alert and millions of beach goers cut short vacations to escape the powerful storm. With more than 50 million people potentially in Irene's path, residents stocked up on food and water and worked to secure homes, vehicles and boats. States, cities, ports, oil refineries and nuclear plants scrambled to activate emergency plans.

ERIKA SANTELICES, AFP/Getty Images

People walk along a battered beach in Nagua on August 23, 2011 as winds and rain of Hurricane Irene are still lashing the northern coast of the island of Hispaniola, which the Dominican Republic shares with Haiti. The category two hurricane skirted the north coast of the Dominican Republic with sustained winds of 160 km per hour and moving in a northwesterly direction. Some 7000 people were evacuated.

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

A person walks through a flooded street after Irene on Aug. 28 in the Red Hook neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough of New York City.

Brendan McDermid / Reuters

Revellers play in the puddles during Irene in New York's Times Square on Aug. 28.

ANA MARTINEZ, REUTERS

A boy walks in a flooded road after Hurricane Irene hit the municipality of Loiza, Aug. 22, 2011. Around 10 inches of rain was reported.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

A sailboat is washed ashore as Irene arrives on Aug. 28 in Southampton, N.Y.

Mark Wilson, Getty Images

A worker boards up a "Ripleys Believe it or not!" located on the boardwalk Aug. 26, 2011 in Ocean City, MD.. Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan has ordered a mandatory evacuation for thousands of residents and visitors to leave the ocean front community and Maryland's Governor O'Malley has declared a state of emergency as Hurricane Irene moves up the eastern seaboard.

Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images

Residents survey one of five large trees that were knocked down by Hurricane Irene's high winds in front of the East River Cooperative Village apartment buildings along Grand Avenue in New York City. The hurricane hit New York as a Category 1 storm before being downgraded to a tropical storm.

ERIKA SANTELICES, AFP/Getty Images

Children look at the beach on the mouth of a river, in the battered town of Nagua on August 23, 2011 as winds and rain of Hurricane Irene are still lashing the northern coast of the island of Hispaniola, which the Dominican Republic shares with Haiti. The category two hurricane skirted the north coast of the Dominican Republic with sustained winds of 160 km per hour and moving in a northwesterly direction. Some 11000 people were evacuated and placed in shelters or private homes.

RED HUBER, ORLANDO SENTINEL

Ed Rolen, 40, of Panama City Beach, Florida drove to Cocoa Beach to Kite surf Thursday, August 25, 2011 to take advantage of high winds and surf from the effects of Hurricane Irene.

MARK MIRKO, Hartford Courant

Gravestones around Barre Memorials on Surf Avenue in Stratford are surrounded with floodwaters brought by Hurricane Irene.

ERIKA SANTELICES, AFP/Getty Images

A man cuts a tree truck on the beach in the battered town of Nagua on August 23, 2011 as winds and rain of Hurricane Irene are still lashing the northern coast of the island of Hispaniola, which the Dominican Republic shares with Haiti. The category two hurricane skirted the north coast of the Dominican Republic with sustained winds of 160 km per hour and moving in a northwesterly direction. Some 11000 people were evacuated and placed in shelters or private homes.

STEPHEN DUNN, Hartford Courant

Huge waves slam into waterfront homes in Westbrook Sunday afternoon. The wind intensity kept up long after the rain disappeared.

Cloe Poisson, Hartford Courant

Pam Borer, (left) and her sister, Laura Boyer, (right) both of West Hartford, salvage boards from their grandmother's summer cottage that was destroyed by Tropical Storm Irene on Sunday. The cottage, built in 1895, has been in their family since 1943.

RED HUBER, ORLANDO SENTINEL

While checking out the surf Glen Newman, of Cocoa Beach hangs on to piling Friday, August 26, 2011 as a wave washes underneath the Cocoa Beach Pier.

Mark Wilson, Getty Images

A man walks down the board walk as winds from approaching Hurricane Irene start to hit the area in Ocean City, Maryland.

Joe Burbank, Orlando Sentinel

A lone bather braves Daytona Beach at the Main Street approach, Friday, August 26, 2011, as Hurricane Irene brings massive surf and strong winds to Florida's Volusia coast.

STEVE NESIUS, REUTERS

Lowe's employees load a generator for a customer as residents continue to prepare for the landfall of Hurricane Irene in Morehead City, N.C. Aug. 26, 2011.

ERIKA SANTELICES, AFP/Getty Images

A boy walks along the beach in the battered town of Nagua on August 23, 2011 as winds and rain of Hurricane Irene are still lashing the northern coast of the island of Hispaniola, which the Dominican Republic shares with Haiti. The category two hurricane skirted the north coast of the Dominican Republic with sustained winds of 160 km per hour and moving in a northwesterly direction. Some 11,000 people were evacuated and placed in shelters or private homes.

RED HUBER/ORLANDO SENTINEL

Surfers take advantage of the 8ft to 10ft waves from the effects of Hurricane Irene at Cocoa Beach Pier.

Red Huber, Orlando Sentinel

High tide starts to wash a sandcastle away Wednesday, August 24, 2011 at Daytona Beach. A look at what might happen to Central florida Beaches as Hurricane Irene passes by.

Bettina Hansen, Hartford Courant

The end of Washington Parkway in Stratford buckled and washed out after being hit with waves during Tropical Storm Irene.

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

A person walks by downed trees in Brooklyn during heavy rain and winds from Irene on Aug. 28 in New York City.

ERIKA SANTELICES, AFP/Getty Images

A boy stands on the front door of his house in the battered town of Nagua on August 23, 2011 as winds and rain of Hurricane Irene are still lashing the northern coast of the island of Hispaniola, which the Dominican Republic shares with Haiti. The category two hurricane skirted the north coast of the Dominican Republic with sustained winds of 160 km per hour and moving in a northwesterly direction. Some 11000 people were evacuated and placed in shelters or private homes.

MIKE SEGAR, REUTERS

Cars drive past a Hurricane Evacuation Route sign in Long Beach on Long Island, New York, Aug. 26, 2011. Hurricane Irene, the first Atlantic hurricane of the season, churned toward the U.S. East Coast Friday as Cities scrambled to prepare, resorts emptied of beach goers, and energy firms braced for the storm.

ERIKA SANTELICES, AFP/Getty Images

A man stares at the sea from a battered beach in Nagua on August 23, 2011 as winds and rain of Hurricane Irene are still lashing the northern coast of the island of Hispaniola, which the Dominican Republic shares with Haiti. The category two hurricane skirted the north coast of the Dominican Republic with sustained winds of 160 km per hour and moving in a northwesterly direction.

Win McNamee, Getty Images

U.S. President Barack Obama (C) speaks with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano (L) and FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate on the aftermath of Hurricane Irene from the Rose Garden of the White House August 28, 2011, in Washington, DC. Hurricane Irene killed at least 15 people and more than 4.5 million homes and businesses are without power due to the storm.

Mario Tama, Getty Images

A man runs along the beach at Coney Island at dawn on Aug. 29, 2011 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Hurricane Irene wreaked havoc on the East Coast and slowly weakened into a tropical storm before making a third landfall at Coney Island. Irene left at least 24 dead across eight states.

Cloe Poisson, Hartford Courant

Richard Filipelli (left) salvages some of his children's toys from the bottom floor apartment he rented with his fiance on Cosey Beach in East Haven. The three-story house collapsed during Tropical Storm Irene on Sunday. "Everything we own is in here. We've got nothing," he said.