Hurricane Irene Leaves Behind a Trail of Destruction

A front loader builds sand dunes to hold the surf back in preparation for Hurricane Irene.
Mary Altaffer / AP

Aug. 26, 2011, Long Beach, N.Y.
A front loader builds dunes to hold the surf back in preparation of Hurricane Irene.

Get the Latest Photos from Time.com
Get TIME photos and pictures of the week delivered directly to your inbox.