New York escapes full force of Irene

Officials in the United States have warned that Hurricane Irene, which has been lashing the country's eastern seaboard since Saturday, still remains a threat - despite being downgraded to a tropical storm.

The Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano, said communities were not out of the woods yet, and hazards like flooding and fallen power lines remained even after the storm had passed.

Steve Kingstone reports from New York.