Panicked residents fled a coastal city that has been hit twice already this decade by huge floods as an intensifying Hurricane Tomas moved up Haiti’s north western coast.

Hurricane Ike barrelled toward the Turks and Caicos as a powerful Category 3 storm today, prompting an exodus of tourists and residents from the normally idyllic Atlantic island chain.

Hurricane Wilma charged toward south-west Florida early today as a Category 3 storm, packing wind gusts of 120 mph, spawning tornadoes and churning up walls of seawater that could make thousands of residents regret they defied evacuation orders.

Hurricane Frances churned its way toward the Bahamas today after forcing hundreds of people to flee their homes in the nearby British territory of Turks and Caicos as the Caribbean faced one of its strongest storms in years.

Tropical Storm Odette crept over the Dominican Republic and out to the open Atlantic today after unleashing torrential rains that prompted thousands to flee their homes and left at least two dead.