Thousands Without Power in Arlington in Irene's Wake

Arlington County began the process of cleanup and damage assessment Sunday following a windy night courtesy of Hurricane Irene.

Damage assessment teams are out checking buildings. The county's volunteer Community Emergency Response Team is assessing and reporting damage to neighborhoods.

About 7,900 people were still without power as of 11:20 a.m., down from a peak of more than 14,000 homes in the dark at daybreak.

County crews are working to clear 75 reported trees down in the public right-of-way, according to a statement by Arlington County.

Thirty-five streets are completely or partially blocked by trees, according to the county. Of those, 11 involve power lines, and the county indicated that it must wait for Dominion to cut power to those lines before work can be done to remove them.

Closed roads include the 2700 block of South Hayes Street, the intersection of North George Mason Drive and North Park Drive, North Columbus Street near Washington Boulevard, and North Quantico and North 18th streets.

Arlington Transit and Metro are running regular schedules, though detours to avoid downed trees and wires could add to travel time, according to the county's statement.

To report a power outage to Dominion, call 866-366-4357.

To report downed trees, call the county Department of Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources at 703-228-6525.

Downed trees will be turned to mulch.