This week we had Emmys, crazies, dog-throwers, and hurricanes. It was not a good week to be a human being. Though, in some ways, it was a great one. Let's take a look back.

Hurricane Earl is weakening. The storm's been downgraded to a Category 1 and may not even be a hurricane at all when it reaches New England late tonight. And the tropical storm warning for NYC has been lifted. Hooray!

What do natural disasters always give us, besides devastating damage and a chance to see if FEMA really works? Long, luscious shots of Al Roker proving his mettle against high speed winds and pouring rain. The glory of Al-kind inside.

[A television reporter fights the surf in Nags Head, North Carolina this morning as Hurricane Earl bears down on the Eastern Seaboard. Image via AP]

[A woman in Surf City, North Carolina, watches the waves being whipped up by Hurricane Earl, which has the potential to ruin countless Labor Day weekend travel plans as it travels up the eastern seaboard. Image via AP]

Hurricane Earl has been upgraded to Category four, with sustained winds of 140 mph.

[That's Hurricane Earl—now a Category 4 hurricane expected to drench the East Coast in rain—near the bottom of this NASA photo and former Hurricane Danielle—now a tropical storm—at the top. Click to enlarge. Via Bad Astronomy.]

Hurricane Earl is "gathering strength" off the coast of Puerto Rico, and may send squalls all the way to Maine this week. Earl has kindly agreed to leave the Gulf coast alone, though, because it's got enough to deal with.

Hurricane Earl strengthened to Category 2 as it passed north of Barbuda early Monday morning.