A taxi speeds by on 42nd Street at Times Square in New York as rains fall before Hurricane Irene hits August 27, 2011. Hurricane Irene charged up the U.S. East Coast on Saturday toward New York, shutting down the city, and millions of Americans sought shelter from a huge storm that halted transport and caused massive power blackouts. REUTERS/Peter Jones (UNITED STATES – Tags: ENVIRONMENT DISASTER TRANSPORT)