Australians party though Irene

[First Lady]

Gray Bright was not going to miss Hurricane Irene for the world.

So desperate was the 30-year-old Sydneysider to experience the storm, he delayed his flight home to party in Times Square as Irene hit New York.

While residents of the city that never sleeps snoozed, Mr Bright and friend Lisa Dimmocks were among the handful of revellers who took to the streets during the driving winds and heavy rains.

"When I found out there was a hurricane coming I thought I have to stay for this, I can't miss out on a hurricane," he said.

"We decided to get ponchos and umbrellas and sticks, and yell at the sky all night long.

"They said to prepare for the hurricane. You had to fill your bath full of water in case the power goes out.

"But we filled our bath up with ice and used it as an esky instead."

Rather than listen to the pleas from authorities to stay indoors during the tropical storm, he hit the streets after a few drinks.

"We tried to find people and started up mini-hurricane parties," Mr Bright said.

"People were playing rugby and another group were playing cricket; they were all mainly Aussies.

"They were using a baseball and a thong as a cricket bat and trying to teach the Americans how to play cricket during a hurricane at Times Square.

"It was wonderful."

As only as Aussies can get through a Hurricane

[mazolaman]

Nice story.

The power of cricket.

It's a bit like the band playing on as the titanic went down.

[Freefallguy]

Gotta love the Aussie joie de vie! I had planned to drive golf balls into the jowls of the beast but it turned out to be more lamb than lion. Irene was no Isabel.

[bassman]

I had a Trini Robusto T & a bottle of 2004 Chateau Smith Haut Lafite as the hurricane passed over Philadelphia. We got lucky. No damage here but around the corner a large tree fell onto a house.