Hurricane Irene threatens US east coast - in pictures

Dare County, North Carolina: Towns such as Nags Head, Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills have ordered a mandatory evacuation of all tourists. Photograph: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Nags Head, North Carolina: A message is left for Hurricane Irene on one house, as a neighbour boards up another. Photograph: Charles Dharapak/AP

Florida: A man tries to avoid getting wet as rain hits the east coast.
Photograph: KeystoneUSA-ZUMA/Rex Features

An image taken by the GOES-East satellite shows Hurricane Irene sweeping into the US coastline.
Photograph: Aflo/Rex Features

Boynton Beach, Florida: Hurricane-driven waves burst on to a pier. Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Florida: A sign outside a building in Pompano Beach offers some pragmatic advice. Photograph: KeystoneUSA-ZUMA/Rex Features

Atlantic Beach, North Carolina: A resident boards up a glass door. Photograph: Steve Nesius/Reuters

Washington: The long-awaited dedication of a national memorial to slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King this weekend has been postponed because of the hurricane. Photograph: Mladen Antonov/AFP

Ocean City, Maryland: Outdoor furniture sits in a pool at the Hilton hotel to stop it from blowing away. Photograph: Mark Wilson/Getty

New York: A man passes a wall of sandbags as downtown Manhattan prepares for possible flooding. Photograph: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters

Nags Head, North Carolina: Abandoned beach-front houses are surrounded by rising water as the effects of Hurricane Irene start to be felt. Photograph: Gerry Broome/AP

Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina: A tourist checks out the churning surf from a gazebo at the Holiday Inn. Photograph: Randall Hill/Reuters

Kitty Hawk, North Carolina: Waves crash into Kitty Hawk Pier as Hurricane Irene makes landfall. Photograph: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA

Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina: Rhiannon Shaw, nine, tries to stay warm while checking out the beach with friends. Photograph: Randall Hill/Reuters