Hurricane Irene knocks out power for nearly 1 million

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Winds and rain from Hurricane Irene knocked out power for nearly 1 million homes and businesses on the Eastern Seaboard on Saturday, primarily in North Carolina and Virginia.

Dominion Power reported that about 700,000 customers in the two states were without electricity as of about 6 p.m.

In North Carolina, about 278,000 Progress Energy customers and about 10,000 Duke Energy customers were without power Saturday evening.

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In Maryland, Baltimore Gas and Electric reported that about 13,000 customers were without power Saturday afternoon.

The situation is one that many East Coast residents could soon experience.

Earlier Saturday, New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said that Con Edison may shut down power in Lower Manhattan ahead of the storm’s arrival to keep residents from being trapped in elevators and to avoid water damage to power lines and other equipment.

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-- Stephen Ceasar