Hurricane Katrina has hit south-east Florida, killing at least two people and leaving hundreds of thousands of homes without electricity. One man died when a tree was blown onto the car in which he was sitting after strong winds and rain struck the Fort Lauderdale area at 1900 (2300 GMT).
Earlier, motorists stocked up at petrol stations and emergency shelters were opened as the storm closed in.
Flooding is forecast, with up to 25cm (10 inches) of rain expected to fall.
People go out and fill their tanks to the brim, but they don’t leave
Florida petrol station attendant
Animated guide: Hurricanes
Katrina hit the densely populated coastline between Hallandale Beach and North Miami Beach, said the US National Hurricane Center.
Skies darkened as winds reaching 130km/h (80mph) whipped up seas to an estimated 4.5 metres (15ft) high, toppled street signs and knocked down trees and power lines.
Some 400,000 customers were without electricity, said Florida Power & Light.
Buckle down
Earlier, residents in the area most at risk, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach, stocked up on food, water and fuel.
Motorists flocked to petrol stations to stock up on fuel and cigarettes, the Associated Press news agency reported.
“People go out and fill their tanks to the brim, but they don’t leave. They buckle down,” petrol station attendant Chris Bonhorst told the agency.
Click here to see Katrina’s predicted course
Authorities urged people in mobile homes or low-lying areas to evacuate to safer ground.
“The entire south part of the peninsula is at risk for flooding,” said Ed Rappaport, the NHC’s deputy director.
Thirteen years ago this week, the maximum-strength Category Five Hurricane Andrew hit the same area of Florida - the most costly hurricane to hit the US.
Katrina, however, is only expected to be a Category One storm.
Coastal warning
The US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) upgraded Katrina from a tropical storm to a hurricane around 1530 (1930 GMT) on Thursday.
Most areas will see 15 to 30cm (six to 12in) of rain before Katrina reaches the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday.
The storm could then turn north towards Florida’s Panhandle, probably hitting early next week.
Florida Governor Jeb Bush, who cancelled a business trip to Peru to return to the state ahead of the storm, warned there could be petrol shortages in isolated areas.
People in coastal communities were warned to beware “large and dangerous battering waves”.
Schools and businesses in south-east Florida closed and cruise lines rerouted their ships as seaports shut down.
Parts of the Bahamas saw heavy showers and powerful waves from Katrina on Wednesday but no major damage was reported.
The Florida Panhandle has already been battered by Hurricane Dennis and Tropical Storm Cindy this year.
The Atlantic hurricane season began on 1 June and continues until 30 November.
Posted by Administrator in World News