United States President Barack Obama has travelled to flood-stricken New Jersey to survey the damage caused by Hurricane Irene.

Hurricane Irene swept through Manhattan on Sunday but reserved the worst of its fury for towns and suburbs up and down the north-eastern US

The rain tapered off, the sun began to come out of hiding and then with a sudden ferocity, dirty sea water poured into the New York coastline.

Hurricane Irene battered New York with ferocious winds and driving rain early on Sunday, shutting down the US financial capital.

Hurricane Irene closed in on New York on Saturday, shutting down the city, as millions of Americans on the East Coast hunkered down.

President Barack Obama has warned that the US east coast was in for a "long 72 hours" as he led his government’s response to Hurricane Irene.

Hurricane Irene blasted ashore near Cape Lookout, North Carolina in a weakened but still massive category one storm that has sent Americans fleeing.

Hurricane Irene closed in on the US East Coast on Friday, lashing North Carolina with ferocious winds and triggering unprecedented evacuations.

New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg has ordered a mandatory evacuation from several low-lying areas as Hurricane Irene looms.

New Yorkers living in low-lying areas should think about moving out on Friday before Hurricane Irene hits the city of 8.4-million people.

Hurricane Irene battered the Bahamas on Wednesday on a track to the North Carolina coast that forecasters say could threaten the US north-east.

Hurricane Irene strengthened into a Category Two hurricane as it swept north of the Dominican Republic on Monday.