New England weathers a downgraded storm Irene

Conway, Massachusetts city personnel look at flooding from the South River August 28, 2011.

BOSTON (Reuters) - High winds and flooding hit New England on Sunday as Tropical Storm Irene buffeted the six-state region on its way up the U.S. East Coast, but its bark appeared to be worse than its bite.

From Massachusetts' eastern islands to the western Berkshires mountain range, officials reported flooded roadways, trees downed over rail tracks and evacuations in some towns. Normally sandy beaches jammed with people were deserted rock fields churned up by the sea.

Authorities braced for dam failures in the Berkshires because of the heavy rains and were concerned about the next tide cycle, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency said.

A tornado watch and a flood watch were in effect for parts of southern New England, where winds with gusts of up to 70 mph were forecast, according to the National Weather Service.

Hurricane Irene, downgraded to a tropical storm on Sunday morning, flooded waterfronts and low-lying areas in New York City, but it did not cause the devastation some had feared.

In New England, the storm knocked down power lines, leaving more than 500,000 homes and businesses in Rhode Island and Massachusetts without electricity, officials said. Crews were being dispatched but had to work cautiously in the high winds.

AIRPORT OPEN, FLIGHTS CANCELED

Few people were moving around on Sunday.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority suspended service from 8 a.m. on Sunday and Amtrak halted all rail service in the northeast.

"We've been telling staff that when they come in they may have to stay beyond the end of their shift, or overnight," Paul Biddinger, medical director for emergency management at Massachusetts General Hospital said.

"We have sleeping quarters set up and last night a number of staff spent the night, and others will tonight, either because they have no way to get home since the transportation system has shut down, or because they don't feel safe on the roads," he said.

Boston's Logan International Airport was open even though all but two airlines had canceled all flights, airport spokesman Phil Orlandella said.

Restaurants that normally do brisk business for brunch on Sunday were shut.

"I'm the only one here and I'm just here to answer the phone and say we are closed," said Mario Detina at Anthony's Pier 4, a Boston seafood restaurant.

Still, as grey skies lifted a little, some people began venturing out.

"The biggest challenge will be keeping people safe and away from our 21 beach communities," Rhode Island National Guard spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Denis Riel said, saying local police set up barricades.

Tim Murdoch and Heidi Kayser ventured to Boston Harbor to see the storm surge but found a less dramatic than anticipated scene.

"The really big storms never make it this far up," Murdoch said. "It's never quite what it is built up to be. We've had plenty of storms like this."

While many had prepared dutifully, others were betting that Irene would fail to live up to its expectations.

"The boatyard at Grey Lady Marine (on Nantucket) is packed with boats on land, including mine, but people were jaded by (Hurricane) Earl, which happened this time last year, and turned out to be much less than expected. So there were a lot of boats still on their moorings," said David Southwell, chief financial officer of biotechnology company Human Genome Sciences Inc.

Police said they arrested a surfer who refused to leave the beach in Hull, Massachusetts, but there have been no rescues in the state.

"Our ships are all still in the harbor," said Coast Guard Petty Officer Richard Simpson. "So far it has been all quiet."

(Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss and Toni Clarke; Editing by Xavier Briand)