NYC transit begins rare shutdown as storm nears

New York City's mass transit system began its first shutdown brought on by a natural disaster Saturday, and the area's five airports stopped accepting arriving flights as Hurricane Irene approached.

Final scheduled runs on all subway and bus lines started at noon, and it would take about eight hours before the system would be shuttered, city officials said. The systems can't operate in sustained winds higher than 39 mph (63 kph) and shutting down is a precaution, the transit authority said. (AP)