Hurricane winds slam into North Carolina coast

Hurricane Irene battered the North Carolina coast with wind and rain Saturday, wreaking havoc as it began a potentially catastrophic run up the US East Coast. More than 2 million people were told to flee and the New York City transit system was shutting down for the first time because of a natural disaster.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that those who need to evacuate the city should do it now. (AP)