The US Open venue sustained "minimal damage" when Tropical Storm Irene lashed new York, and the US Tennis Association (USTA) said on Sunday the tournament would start Monday with a few schedule changes.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Open will start on Monday as planned after the National Tennis Center escaped serious damage from Hurricane Irene, officials said on Sunday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Sunday warned that flooding from Hurricane Irene could worsen as rivers flood their banks and said federal recovery efforts would last a few weeks.

TOMS RIVER, New Jersey (Reuters) - Hurricane Irene swept along the New Jersey shore early on Sunday, knocking down trees, leaving thousands of people without electrical power and causing flooding.

"The Help," a drama about a Southern white woman who writes a book about black women employed as housekeepers in pre-Civil Rights era America, topped the weekend box office, industry data showed Sunday.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hurricane Irene could cost U.S. state and local governments billions of dollars in damages, but funds from the federal government might ultimately cover much of this expense.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hurricane Irene could cost U.S. state and local governments billions of dollars in damages, but funds from the federal government might ultimately cover much of this expense.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hurricane Irene could cost U.S. state and local governments billions of dollars in damages, but funds from the federal government might ultimately cover much of this expense.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Irene's sustained maximum wind speed dropped to 50 miles per hour (85 kilometers per hour) as the center of the storm neared northern New England, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Sunday.

BOSTON (Reuters) - High winds and flooding hit New England on Sunday as Tropical Storm Irene buffeted the six-state region on its way up the U.S. East Coast, but its bark appeared to be worse than its bite.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City residents will regain limited bus service starting at 4:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, while the PATH rail line that links New Jersey and Manhattan will reopen at 4:OO a.m. on Monday, authorities said.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks are setting up for another turbulent week, and while Hurricane Irene passed with less damage than had been feared in many areas, the storm's impact on public transit near Wall Street could depress trading volumes.

LONG BEACH, New York (Reuters) - Hurricane Irene lashed New York's Long Island, submerging some beaches entirely and leaving hundreds of thousands of people without electricity, officials and residents said on Sunday.

SALISBURY, Maryland (Reuters) - Building a house in a week is always a challenge for the 60 crew members who work on the ABC reality show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," but this week they faced a double whammy: first an earthquake, then a 600-mile wide hurricane named Irene.

New York area airports will not reopen until at least late Monday, officials said after Hurricane Irene air chaos saw more than 10,000 flights canceled across the eastern United States.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. stock market will open for a normal trading session on Monday, although with lower volume, despite damage from Hurricane Irene and the possible absence of public transportation.

CHESAPEAKE, Va (Reuters) - Hurricane Irene killed four people in Virginia on a destructive path that affected half the state's land mass and two-thirds of the population, Governor Bob McDonnell said on Sunday.

MIAMI (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Jose formed near Bermuda on Sunday, becoming the 10th named storm of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, U.S. forecasters said.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hurricane Irene caused between $200 million and $400 million in insured losses in the Carolinas, catastrophe modeling company EQECAT said on Sunday, suggesting the storm may have been far less severe than the insurance industry feared.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hurricane Irene caused between $200 million and $400 million in insured losses in the Carolinas, catastrophe modeling company EQECAT said on Sunday, suggesting the storm may have been far less severe than the insurance industry feared.