Hurricane Dennis roared quickly through the coastal areas of Alabama and north-western Florida with a 120 mph bluster of blinding squalls and crashing waves, but shellshocked residents emerged to find far less damage than when Ivan took nearly the same path 10 months ago.

At least 100 people were missing in Haiti’s south-western peninsula following floods, mudslides and the collapse of a bridge triggered by Hurricane Dennis, a UN official said today.

Thousands of tourists were evacuated from idyllic US beaches today as a monster hurricane headed their way after hitting the detention centre in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

Thousands of tourists were evacuated from idyllic US beaches today as a monster hurricane headed their way after hitting the detention centre in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

The first rain from Hurricane Dennis started falling on the Florida Keys today as the storm barrelled towards the Gulf of Mexico, and forecasters warned that it might score a direct hit on the island chain.

Hurricane Dennis flooded roads in Haiti and threatened a direct hit on Jamaica, pushing oil prices sharply higher and becoming the second storm to threaten oil output in the Gulf of Mexico.