Residents in the waterlogged areas of of the Northeast are starting the clean up process as flood waters recede in areas such as New Jersey and Vermont. In towns such as Little Falls, New Jersey, the waters have fallen six inches, laying bare the wreckage left by Hurricane Irene. Estimates indicate Irene will rank among the nation's costliest natural disasters, reports CNN. "Weary residents across the Northeast began pulling soggy furniture and ruined possessions onto their front lawns as they surveyed the damage," reports the Associated Press. Meanwhile, National Guard helicopters continue to ferry supplies to towns in Vermont without electricity. The Maryland-based consulting firm Kinetic Analysis Corp. pegs the damage caused by Irene at $7.2 billion for eight states and the District of Columbia, far costlier than the previous hurricanes to hit the Northeast, Bob and Gloria, both of which cause under $2 billion in damage. On Sunday President Obama will tour Paterson, New Jersey where "currents of the Passaic River swept through the city of 150,000, flooding part of downtown and forcing the emergency evacuations of hundreds of people who likely underestimated the storm's ferocity," reports the Associated Press.

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John Hudson