Kim Severson Campbell Robertson Kevin Sack New York Times

As Tropical Storm Irene drenched New York and New England on Sunday, the states where the hurricane first made landfall faced a sun-drenched - yet often powerless - day to assess loss of life, property damage and widespread inconvenience that, while significant, fell short of the worst forecasts of catastrophe.

As Tropical Storm Irene drenched New York and New England on Sunday, the states where the hurricane first made landfall faced a sun-drenched - yet often powerless - day to assess loss of life, property damage and widespread inconvenience that, while significant, fell short of the worst forecasts of catastrophe.