The latest was until 3:15 a.m. Sunday for southeastern Mercer County, southwestern Monmouth County, and northwestern Ocean County in New Jersey. The same area was under an alert till 11:30 p.m. Saturday.
(Check yourself for updates at http://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=phi&wwa=tornado warning.)
Previous alerts: Till 11 p.m. for east-central Chester County, northeastern Delaware County, southeastern Montgomery County, and the central part of Philadelphia. Till 10:45 for southern Burlington County and central Ocean County. Till 10:15 p.m. for New Castle County, Del. Till 10 for Gloucester County till 10. Till 9:15 for southeastern Atlantic County.
Earlier tornado threats were in southern Delaware and northeastern Maryland, as the storm moved northward after making landfall in North Carolina.
"The safest place to be during a tornado is in a basement," the National Weather Service advises. "Get under a workbench or other piece of sturdy furniture. If no basement is available, seek shelter on the lowest floor of the building in an interior hallway or room such as a closet. Use blankets or pillows to cover your body and always stay away from windows."
Flood warnings and watches were also in effect throughout the region, with as much as five inches of rain possible in the city before midnight - before the Irene's strongest winds arrive.
By 2:30 a.m., those conditions had created widespread flash flooding, prompting some water rescues in Montgomery County and other suburbs, and had downed trees and wires, leading to power outages.
Already by 11 p.m., 90,000 customers of Atlantic City Electric had lost power from Gloucester County to the Shore. Peco reported about 140,000 homes and businesses without power, led by about 56,000 in Delaware County.
And the full force of the hurricane was yet to arrive in the region, with Irene's eye projected move up the Jersey coast in the early predawn hours.
