The View from Jefferson Street

Good riddance Irene!

Video: Hurricane Irene Bears Down on Bushwick

I shot this from my bedroom window on Jefferson Street in Bushwick around 7:50 a.m. as the center of Hurricane Irene passed within 30 miles of the city.

Leaves and some tree branches have come down, while the sunflowers that were in the garden across the street from my building have fallen. There is some garbage and debris on the street, but we still have electricity.

Video: Hurricane Irene Bears Down on Bushwick

The brunt of Hurricane Irene continues to bear down on Bushwick.

The lights have flickered a couple of times here on Jefferson Street, but we thankfully still have electricity. A tree in our backyard continues to lean. The wind has also shredded a canopy that covered an outdoor patio in the building next to mine.

I shot this video from my bedroom window around 6:20 a.m.

Outer Bands of Hurricane Irene Reach Bushwick

The outer banks of Hurricane Irene have begun to reach Bushwick.

A steady and increasingly torrential rain began about 20 minutes ago. The breeze has begun to freshen, but it remains well under 20 mph.

The checkout lines at the Associated Supermarket on the corner of Knickerbocker Avenue and Starr Street were more than a dozen people deep earlier this morning. They were even longer at the dollar store on the corner of Knickerbocker Avenue and Troutman Street, but everyone was calm and orderly as they stocked up on canned foods, candles and other supplies. I even purchased some Bacardi Gold at a nearby liquor store to make some hurricanes during the storm.

Several windows on my block on Jefferson Street have tape on them, but restaurants, Chinese take-outs, the supermarket and even the laundromat on Knickerbocker Avenue were open around 6:30 p.m.