After Hurricane Irene: Dealing with the mess

The worst weather effects of Hurricane Irene on residents in the East Coast of the U.S. may be over. But Irene, downgraded to just a tropical storm as it made landfall in New York yesterday, still produced a lot of damage.

According to official counts, Irene has caused 21 deaths in the U.S. About 5 million homes and businesses in Irene's path lost power at some point. While tens of thousands of places are still without power, Irene's other after-effects—wind-felled trees and water-surged rivers and coasts—will be felt for quite a while as well.

To help you get through the aftermath of Irene, check out Consumer Reports post-disaster tips:

• Ghosts of Irene: How to avoid buying a flood-damaged car
• In Irene's wake: Time for a waterproofing?
• After the storm: How to save family photos and records
• Vermonters can tell you: Buy flood insurance.
• Safety first: Driving after a hurricane
• Don't use medicines affected by Hurricane Irene
• Irene disaster recovery: There are smartphone apps for that
• Hurricane Irene creates a perfect storm for mold
• How did your cell service stand up to Irene?
• Keeping your food and water safe after Irene
• What a mess: Cleaning up after Hurricane Irene
• Social Media: Americans' source for disaster news, help and comfort
• Weathering disaster: Chain saws
• Weathering disasters: Generators
• Beware of online and email disaster scams

States begin the process of getting back to normal after Irene [Associated Press via The LA Times]
Millions of US East Coast Residents Face Power Outages, Floods After Irene [Voice of America Blog]
Weather Journal: After Irene, Clear Skies [Wall Street Journal]