Hurricane Irene brought ferocious winds and torrential rain to New York, as the city braced itself for a worse onslaught with fears of flooding in low-lying areas.

The storm made landfall on the US east coast, in the early hours of Saturday morning, after leaving a trail of destruction in the Caribbean earlier in the week.

Bands of high winds and rain lashed the North Carolina coast and its resorts, pushing surf up to the backs of some houses and hotels in some places.

Warnings have been issued in many parts of the eastern seaboard about the likely dangers of the storm, and several states declared an emergency ahead of Irene's arrival.

In advance of the storm, towns and cities expecting to be in Irene's path - like Ocean City, Maryland - have been boarded up and evacuated.

In Atlantic City, New Jersey, usually a bustling holiday town, the boardwalk has been emptied and the city's famous casinos closed.

Saturday saw residents in Annapolis, Maryland, filling sandbags as Irene swept closer.

People were urged to leave low-lying areas in good time before the storm arrives.

In New York, public transport is shutting down from midday local time - and airports will no longer be allowing incoming flights to land. Many departing flights have also been cancelled.