New York City Avoids Serious Damage as Deadly Irene Speeds North

New York City residents returned to Manhattan streets, yellow taxis began plying their usual routes and equity markets planned to open after Irene passed through as a tropical storm, less severe than the hurricane local officials feared.

While subways and buses may not be restored to full service right away, and airports may not return to regular operations until tomorrow, bridges and tunnels and major highways that had closed in high winds opened. More than 1.7 million lost power as the storm swept through New York and New Jersey, parts of which remained flooded.