PHOTOS: Looking Back at Hurricane Irene

The summer of 2011 came to a wet and wild end as Hurricane Irene barreled into the eastern seaboard, creating a whirlwind of damage and leaving thousands without power.

The storm hit the Outer Banks of North Carolina on Aug. 27 and by the next day made its way into our local area. According to the National Hurricane Center, 49 people were killed as a result of the storm and nearly 9 million people were left without power.

Locally, the Long Island Power Authority Two days after the storm, 270,000 people were without power and many would wait five days or even more until power was restored to their area.

The that crippled roadways and destroyed power lines and the town for what some viewed as a lack of communication. The tab for cleanup wasn't cheap and came with a $1.3 million price tag. The town which was approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

One newly opened business in town, saw a rush of business as locals hurried in to get flashlights, batteries and water.

“We went around and bought up all the flashlights we could find so they could be here for the people of Kings Park,” said owner Tony Tanzi at the time of the storm.

were the tools of many for those camp like days. Kings Park residents welcomed each other onto their lawns for dinner under tents and spoke to each other on stoops and front yards instead of through cell phones and Facebook updates.

“We had the best hurricane party in Kings Park last night – all the neighbors came down,” said  Tim Melanson said back in Aug. of 2011. Days after the storm, Melanson said all and all Irene wasn’t so bad, he said it brought the neighborhood together.

“I’m cutting off everyone’s power next week so they all come out and talk again,” he laughed.

What are your memories of the storm? Tell us in the comment section below. Thanks to the many residents who shared their photos with us, some of which can be seen in our photo gallery.