U.S. death toll from hurricane Irene rises to 40

 　　WASHINGTON, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The death toll¹ from Hurricane and Tropical Storm Irene has risen sharply to at least 40 as of Tuesday, as more bodies were pulled from floodwaters, according to state authorities.

　　Eleven states in the U.S. east coast reported deaths from Irene, which moved out of the U.S. territory Sunday night but left many states in a mess.

　　A total of 2.85 million customers still are without power due to Irene, the U.S. Department of Energy said Tuesday. An even bigger threat is widespread flooding caused by tidal waves and torrential rains.

　　In Vermont, the worst flooding in 84 years made many roads and bridges remain impassable. The state government began mobilizing helicopters to deliver food, drinking water and other essentials to those stranded² by severe flooding.

　　Federal emergency officials began touring the affected³ states and assessing damages they suffered. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator⁴ Craig Fugate on Tuesday visited North Carolina, Virginia and Vermont, and will travel to New York and New Jersey⁵ on Wednesday to survey ongoing⁶ recovery and response efforts on the ground following Irene, according to the White House.

1 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

2 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

3 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

4 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

5 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

6 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。