Dangers remain

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell says that while Hurricane Irene wasn't as bad as expected, dangers remain.

The storm caused four deaths, widespread power outages and flooding before leaving the state early Sunday. McDonnell said during a news briefing Sunday that the winds and storm surge fell short of forecasts, but as much as two-thirds of the state's residents still felt the storm's impact.

McDonnell took an aerial tour of storm-damaged areas Sunday, then joined Richmond Mayor Dwight Jones in the city's near west end, where large trees uprooted and fell on buildings and crushed cars.

They spoke with neighborhood residents, and reminded people to stay off the roads so officials could restore power and remove debris safely. He said some Virginia localities still have curfews in place.

McDonnell said it could be days before power is restored to households who were left in the dark.

He also said that downed electric lines and rivers that have yet to crest continue to pose dangers. He noted that about half of the 32 Virginians killed by Hurricane Isabel in 2003 died after the storm had passed.

McDonnell praised local, state and federal coordination before, during and after the storm and said agencies learned from hurricanes Isabel, Katrina and Rita. After preparing for the worst-case scenario of a Category 2 or 3 hurricane, Virginia was ready for the less powerful storm, he said.

"Thank God it weakened a little bit," McDonnell said.

It's unclear when the storm's estimated economic impact will be available, officials said. State Department of Emergency Management coordinator Michael Cline said that localities will conduct storm assessments this week, and federal and state emergency officials subsequently will go out and confirm the damage.

Virginia Fatalities

- Newport News authorities report that 11-year-old Zahir Robinson was killed when a large tree crashed through his apartment shortly after noon.

- In Brunswick County, a tree fell across a car Saturday afternoon, killing 67-year-old James Blackwell of Brodnax. The driver was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

- Chesterfield County police say a man died at a Hopewell hospital Saturday after a tree fell on a house that he was in.

- A King William County man, 57-year-old William P. Washington, was killed when a tree fell on him as he was cutting another tree on Saturday night. Washington was trying to get home at the height of the storm when a fallen tree blocked his path on a road, about four miles from his home, and he and another motorist tried to clear the way.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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