Hurricane Irene made landfall near Cape Lookout about 7:30 Saturday morning, spawning possible tornadoes, heavy rain, high winds and power outages affecting hundreds of thousands of residents along the coast and inland.

While the sun has returned today, much of the eastern and coastal areas of the state is reeling from the devastation caused by Irene. Recovery could take weeks, if not months.

The storm has been responsible for at least 10 deaths, including five in North Carolina.

Moore County was spared the brunt of the storm, which had a major impact on inland areas in the eastern part of the state. The hurricane brought high winds and some rain to the area, with wind gusts up to 40 mph, according to the National Weather Service. County.

The massive storm weakened to a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 85 mph when it made landfall on the Outer Banks. The storm caused major damage in North Carolina, ripping off roofs, toppling trees, causing massive flooding near the coast and bringing down power lines along the coast and well inland, according to the state emergency management division.

The hurricane dumped 10 to 14 inches of rain in North Carolina and pushed a 4-foot storm surge into the Chesapeake Bay, the National Hurricane Center reported. As of midnight Saturday, Kill Devil Hills had endured 31 hours of nonstop rainfall, according to CNN.

There were also reports of tornadoes in North Carolina and Virginia, but a final determination will have to be made by the National Weather Service.

Irene headed up the East Coast and has caused major damage in its path.

Now a tropical storm, Irene took aim at New York this morning. CNN reported that river waters began began flooding into Manhattan's streets as Irene lashed the city with wind gusts and torrential rains.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey closed the north tube of the Holland Tunnel because of flooding, and there were reports of serious flooding in Brooklyn.

The threat of flooding extended beyond New York City. Outside Philadelphia, waters had already climbed to street-sign levels in Darby, according to CNN.

By 9 a.m. Sunday, Irene had weakened to a tropical storm, with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. The biggest danger posed by Irene is now flooding.

Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and New Jersey suspended all transit service, with no subway and bus service today. And the Philadelphia International Airport was to remain closed until at least 4 p.m. today.

New York City ordered the unprecedented evacuation of 370,000 people from low-lying areas on Friday.