Irene Moves Into New England Leaving Millions in Dark, 11 Dead

Tropical Storm Irene moved into western Connecticut after killing 11 people, knocking out power to more than 4 million customers in 12 states and sending rivers to near-record heights.
Irene was 10 miles west of Danbury, Connecticut, with winds of 60 miles per hour and moving north-northeast at 26 mph as of the 11 a.m. National Hurricane Center update.
“Everyone who is still under a tropical storm warning shouldn’t let their guard down and shouldn’t venture outside,” said Dennis Feltgen, a spokesman for the National Hurricane Center in Miami. “I know everyone wants to sightsee but personal safety has to come first. It’s still a big rain event and there are still storm surge impacts on the south-facing coastline. Things will be much better tomorrow.”
Irene was a shadow of the storm that roared across the Caribbean with winds of up to 120 miles (194 kilometers) an hour and crashed into North Carolina’s Outer Banks as a Category 1 hurricane. It dropped to tropical storm status before making landfall in New York City at about 9 a.m. today.
People from South Carolina to New Hampshire lost power because of Irene, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Electricity Delivery & Energy Reliability released today.

Storm’s Costs

Insured losses in North and South Carolina are expected to range from $200 million to $400 Million, according to risk- modeling company Eqecat Inc. in Oakland, California. Irene may have caused between $500 million and $1.1 billion in damage to the Bahamas, according to estimates from AIR Worldwide in Boston.
If Irene’s losses exceed $1 billion in the U.S., it will be among the ten most costly natural disasters this year, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The U.S. has suffered $35 billion in losses due to nine separate events so far in 2011, tying a record for disasters causing more than $1 billion damage, NOAA said.
Irene struck the Bahamas last week before making landfall in North Carolina yesterday. It made a second U.S. landfall early today along the New Jersey shore and then passed directly over New York about three hours later, according to the hurricane center in Miami.
Tornadoes have been reported in Delaware and Virginia, where they have damaged homes, according to the U.S. Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma. Tornadoes are possible throughout Irene’s path, according to the hurricane center.

NYC Flooding

The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for the New York City area until 6 p.m.
Rivers and creeks throughout the Northeast are rising, according to weather service river gauges.
Water rose to 8.12 feet at the Sandy Hook, New Jersey, flood gauge as of 7:36 a.m., higher than the 7.7-foot threshold for moderate flooding.
The Millstone River in Blackwells Mills, New Jersey, rose 14.37 feet in the past 12 hours and is now considered at major stage flooding, according to the National Weather Service. The Raritan River’s south and north branches are also at major flood stage. The south branch rose 10.79 feet in the past 12 hours, while the north branch in Raritan has risen 14.99, according to weather service river gauges.
Brandywine Creek at Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, rose 10.5 feet in the past 24 hours and is expected to surpass its all- time high flood stage of 17.15 feet, set in September 1999, when Hurricane Floyd swept through the Northeast, according to the weather service. Chadds Ford is about 25 miles west of Philadelphia.

Records Broken

The North River at Shattuckville, Rhode Island, rose 11 feet in 12 hours and set a flood record of 12.95 feet breaking the mark set in October 2005.
Many records set in the region when Floyd came through may be broken today, Bill Deger, a meteorologist for private forecaster AccuWeather in State College, Pennsylvania, said in an e-mailed statement.
All hurricane warnings for the Eastern Seaboard were dropped at 11 a.m. Storm warnings are in effect from Chincoteague, Virginia, northward Eastport, Maine, and into Canada.
“Continued gradual weakening will occur as the system moves over land today,” according to the hurricane center. “Significantly stronger winds are still possible over high-rise structures and areas of elevated terrain.”
Elsewhere, Tropical Storm Jose formed 75 miles south- southwest of Bermuda, where a storm warning has been issued, according to the hurricane center. Jose is expected to move north and start to deteriorate tomorrow.

Pizza Hut to serve wine and beer in all outlets

MUMBAI: Pizza Hut is all set to serve wine and beer at its outlets across the country, after pilot-testing in Delhi and Bangalore. "We have just started serving wine and beer to our customers at two Delhi stores and wine at five stores in Bangalore. We will be adding new such stores. The idea is to have this service across all our outlets," Pizza Hut Head (Marketing) Sunay Bhasin told PTI here.

The popular quick service restaurant (QSR) chain Pizza Hut had applied for permit to offer wine and beer at its outlets last October. Its parent, the American restaurant chain Yum Restaurants, also operates three other QSR brands: KFC, Taco Bell and Long John Silvers in the country.

Bhasin said the company would expand its presence into Tier-II and Tier-III cities by 2015, as demand is growing in small towns due to rising income levels and changing lifestyles and food habits.

"We have a goal of adding about 50% of our current base by 2015," he said, adding, "By then we would have 180-200 outlet."

The company currently runs 120 dining restaurants across 34 cities.

Bhasin said it is likely that the company will extend its footprint to around 16 locations by 2015.

"Wherever there is a demand for our dining experience, our endeavour would be to deliver that. Anywhere there is retail space and people demand for such experience, we would love to be there," he added.

The Rs 9,000-crore organised eating-out market is growing at 25%.

Bhasin said the current strategy was to change the concept of Pizza Hut from the traditional QSR to a casual dining restaurant.

Irene Wreaks Havoc On Long Island, Brings Major Flooding And Power Outages

HAMPTON BAYS, NY (CBSNewYork) – Irene wreaked havoc on parts of Long Island, but lost its hurricane strength by the time it reached New York City.
The National Hurricane Center said Irene’s winds dropped to 65 miles per hour when it hit Coney Island around 9 a.m. Sunday.
PHOTOS: Hurricane Irene | Facebook Fan Pics
But that didn’t stop the massive storm from dumping rain, flooding streets and creating dangerous storm surges along parts of the coast.
Nassau County executive Ed Mangano while the worst may be over, it’s still dangerous.
“I just want the public to understand there are still dangers out there,” he said in a news conference Sunday. “While it looks very nice out, the roads are still not passable.”
Mangano said cleaning up from the storm could take weeks and called it a “monumental task.” He added it could take about a month to assess what economic damage Irene may have done to the county.
Suffolk County executive Steve Levy said Long Islanders dodged a bullet with a less-fierce hurricane than what was originally estimated.
“We were expecting possibly much more a high Category 1 or low Category 2 and makes a very big difference,” said Levy. “Much less rain than we anticipated in Suffolk and wind gusts that reached 65 mph, 70 mph but was more manageable than the 90 mph, 95 mph, 100 mph that we might have otherwise have gotten.”

Heavy flooding was reported in Southampton. Waves crashed onto roads and surrounded homes along the coastline. Boats were also washed ashore in some spots.

Airline Cancellations Grow as Irene Shutters New York City-Area Airports

U.S. carriers including United Continental Holdings Inc. (UAL) and Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL) scrubbed more than 8,000 flights as Hurricane Irene churned up the East Coast and shuttered airports in New York, the nation’s busiest travel market.

American Airlines halted New York City-area flights as of 10 a.m. local time, while United and Delta earlier scrubbed their full schedules. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey closed John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia airports and three smaller facilities to arriving flights as of noon local time as the city awaited heavy rain and wind.

“We need to make sure that we give our customers and our employees ample time to get home” before mass transit systems are closed, said Andrea Huguely, an American spokeswoman.

The six biggest U.S. airlines canceled at least 8,037 flights today through Aug. 29 because of the storm. Another 332 were scrubbed earlier in the week as the hurricane approached. New York officials suspended train, bus and subway service at noon today, making it harder for workers and passengers to reach airports. Evacuations were ordered for low-lying areas.

Delta and United are the biggest airlines in the New York market, while American operates both domestic and international hubs from the city.
International Flights

Air France grounded 16 flights to New York and Washington today and 14 flights tomorrow, said Herve Erschler, a spokesman. British Airways canceled 15 flights today and 21 tomorrow from New York and other northeastern U.S. cities, while Virgin Atlantic scrubbed 10, according to their websites. Deutsche Lufthansa AG canceled 14 flights to and from New York airports today, and 22 tomorrow at New York, Boston and Philadelphia, said Boris Ogursky, a spokesman.

Philadelphia’s airport will close at 6 p.m. today, according to data tracker FlightAware.com.

US Airways Group Inc. (LCC) canceled 1,166 flights, including 256 today and 910 tomorrow, Andrew Christie, a spokesman, said in an e-mail. The scrubbed flights primarily are in the Washington area starting tonight and in New York, Philadelphia and Boston tomorrow.

“The number of cancellations may change as we are continuing to monitor the storm very closely,” Christie said.

United Continental scrubbed 2,300 flights today and tomorrow, and Delta is dropping 1,500 flights through Aug. 29. Delta stopped service at three Virginia airports today and won’t make flights tomorrow to New York, Philadelphia, Boston and four other smaller northeast cities, said Morgan Durrant, a spokesman.
JetBlue

JetBlue Airways Corp. (JBLU), the first major carrier to cancel weekend flights, is dropping 1,262 over the same period, said Mateo Lleras, a spokesman. The airline halted operations at its biggest base in Kennedy at 10 a.m. local time today and will do the same in Boston at 10 p.m., he said.

American, a unit of AMR Corp. (AMR), is grounding 1,103 flights and suspended service at Washington-area airports for about 24 hours starting at noon today, said Tim Smith, a spokesman.

Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) will suspend service today in Norfolk, Virginia, and is scrapping 400 flights, in addition to 306 flights through Aug. 29 at its AirTran unit. The Dallas- based airline plans to suspend flights in Philadelphia starting at 2 p.m. local time today through tomorrow, and at LaGuardia and Newark all weekend.

Irene may cause $6.5 billion in overall economic losses, according to estimates by Kinetic Analysis Corp. A more easterly track and less intensity puts the company’s projected insured losses at $3.1 billion.
Busiest Market

The last storm of this magnitude to menace the Northeast was 1985’s Hurricane Gloria, which killed 11 people and caused $900 million in damage. Irene is on a similar track.

Like JetBlue, Delta has a hub at Kennedy, and United’s Continental Airlines flies from New Jersey’s Newark Liberty. Together with LaGuardia, the three airports form the busiest U.S. aviation market with almost 104 million passengers last year, according to Airports Council International.

Sandwiching that airspace is Philadelphia, where US Airways has a hub and Southwest is the second-biggest operator; Washington, home to United’s hub at Dulles airport and a US Airways base at Ronald Reagan National; and Boston, where JetBlue is the largest tenant.

Irene’s approach spurred carriers to begin letting fliers reschedule trips without penalty to and from storm-affected cities. Dropping fees for changing reservations helps airlines by getting passengers rebooked before any weather disruptions.

Aircraft are flying with record numbers of full seats, especially at the end of the U.S. summer vacation season, making it difficult for passengers on grounded flights to find new seats after the storm moves through.

To contact the reporters on this story: Mary Schlangenstein in Dallas at maryc.s@bloomberg.net; Mary Jane Credeur in Atlanta at mcredeur@bloomberg.net 

Delta Air Lines Announces Plans to Buy 100 Planes

Delta Air Lines has now put all rumors to rest in regard to its plans to buy 100 Boeing 737 jets. Apparently, the airline has confirmed this rumor as true. The company went on to state that it is buying these jets as part of its fleet upgrade and will be taking delivery of these planes between the years of 2013 and 2018.

The order itself was finally confirmed on Thursday. It is said to be worth more than $8.5 billion at list price. However, it is important to note that Delta Air Lines probably got a discount for buying so many planes. It is a very common practice for airlines to get discounts off the list price when buying in bulk.

These newer planes offer a lot more perks for travelers over the ones that Delta Air Lines is currently using. For example, the cabins are a lot roomier. There is also less engine noise and more room in the overhead bins. However, the biggest improvement for the airline is the fact that these planes are far more fuel-efficient. This means that the airline will save money on fueling costs.

Delta Air Lines, which is actually based in Atlanta, Georgia, said in January that it was considering the possibility of ordering up to 200 jets. On top of this, it would have the option to buy 200 more. The airline said that the timing of its delivery would be announced later this year, and it would still keep the airline’s capital spending plan on target for this year.

With this new upgrade, Delta believes that it will save about 15 to 20 percent in fuel and maintenance costs. It is now more than halfway through a three-year, $2 billion plan to upgrade its fleet.

Hurricane Irene forces Delta Airlines to cancel 1,300 flights

In a ripple effect of hundreds of pro-active cancellations up and down the east coast, Detroit travelers will have to scramble to reschedule weekend flights.

Delta Air Lines will cancel 1,300 of 16,500 scheduled flights nationwide between Saturday and Monday, it announced late this afternoon.

It will cancel all Sunday flights at New York's airports .

It is not known all the flights Delta will cancel at Metro Airport, but anyone with a flight to New York Sunday should contact the airline.

Other affected flights will range from Boston south to the Carolinas.

The airline will notify customers and rebook them, or customers can go to www.delta.com and rebook on their own. They also can reach Delta agents through Twitter, @DeltaAssist.


As of this afternoon, there were no delays at Metro Airport, according to FlightStats.com, which tracks airport traffic.

Airline passengers should make sure they are signed up for their airline e-mail, text or phone message alert system, which will let them know if flights are canceled. If your flight is canceled, the airline will automatically rebook you.

However, many airlines are waiving fees to change tickets ahead of time.

Here’s a rundown:

Delta, Metro Airport’s largest airline, is offering travel waivers to allow passengers to change flights without penalty.

Those flying today through Monday to or from Baltimore, Newark, New York City, White Plains or Newburgh N.Y.; Norfolk or Richmond, Va.; Philadelphia or Washington, D.C. may reschedule to fly out anytime by Sept. 2.

Also, those flying today through Sunday to or from Jacksonville, New Bern, N.C., Wilmington, N.C., or Myrtle Beach can change without fee to fly out by Monday. (www.delta.com, 800-221-1212.)

Spirit is waiving fees for people scheduled Saturday, Sunday or Monday to fly in and out of Boston, New York LaGuardia, Washington Reagan and Atlantic City. Call them at 800-772-7117 to make the change. Rebooked flights must depart by Sept. 30 ( www.spiritair.com.)

Southwest is allowing changes for those flying Saturday, Sunday or Monday in or out of Albany, Baltimore, Boston, Hartford, Norfolk, Manchester (NH), Newark, LaGuardia, Philadelphia, Raleigh-Durham and Washington Dulles.

Cybersecurity expert hacked Medtronic insulin pump

A cybersecurity expert and diabetic who recently showed that his insulin pump is vulnerable to hacking has revealed the maker of his device: Fridley-based Medtronic Inc.

Jay Radcliffe, a 33-year-old Idaho man who hacked into his own pump at a cybersecurity conference earlier this month, said Thursday that he initially withheld the name of the manufacturer in an effort to work with the medical technology company on security issues.

Medtronic's $1.3 billion California-based diabetes business is the largest maker of insulin pumps in the world. But Radcliffe and others suspect the security vulnerabilities could extend to other devices, such as pacemakers and implantable heart defibrillators.

After he was repeatedly rebuffed by Medtronic officials, Radcliffe says he decided to go public with the company's name. "Blowing me off is not an ethical response," he said on a webcast organized by Black Hat, a Seattle-based organization of security researchers.

Medtronic CEO Omar Ishrak said at the company's annual meeting Thursday that the probability of a security breach is small but that Medtronic "takes security very seriously." Security systems on new pumps will improve going forward, he said.

He also said there's never been an incidence of pump hacking in the real world -- it's only occurred in controlled settings with skilled individuals.

Radcliffe gave a presentation about his pump at a Black Hat conference earlier this month. There he remotely disabled its lifesaving therapy by remotely turning it off.

Since then, Radcliffe claims that Medtronic has distributed inaccurate information about the hacking threat, including statements that the pump's wireless capabilities can be turned off to prevent security breaches. "Sadly, this is not possible," he said.

Radcliffe has never revealed how he hacked into his own device -- he has since switched to a competing pump made by Johnson & Johnson. He urged patients with Medtronic pumps to continue using the devices, and acknowledged that the threat of hacking is small.

But, he said, it's important for companies to take security issues seriously. "Saying it's never been done is no assurance that it can't be done in the future," he said. "Just because nobody's exploited your system doesn't make it secure."