Irene not the monster that had been feared (promised?)

So what will the cable-heads talk about today? From AP:

From North Carolina to Pennsylvania, Hurricane Irene appeared to have fallen short of the doomsday predictions. But with rivers still rising, and roads impassable because of high water and fallen trees, it could be days before the full extent of the damage is known. More than 4.5 million homes and businesses along the East Coast lost power, and at least nine deaths were blamed on the storm. But as day broke Sunday, light damage was reported in many places, with little more than downed trees and power lines.

Irene limped into NY this morning as a tropical storm. Moral of the story: Disasters cannot be programmed.