Hurricane Frances begins to fade

Hurricane Frances swept across Florida today submerging entire roads, tearing off rooftops and leaving more than four million people without power.

Up to 11ins of rain fell along Florida’s central east coast and caused scattered flooding as a weakened Frances edged across the state toward Tampa. It left behind levelled trees and power lines and tangled traffic lights.

“I was just waiting for the house to blow down,” said Diane Wright, who rode out the storm in a mobile home in Fort Pierce.

Hers didn’t. But even shelters weren’t spared: The roof at a school housing evacuees was partially blown off.

The storm was blamed for at least one death after a man was killed when his car hit a tree near Gainesville.

Earlier, at least two deaths were blamed on the storm in the Bahamas, where thousands were forced from their homes.

Initial reports of destruction in Florida did not rival the estimated £6.1 billion in insured damage caused by Hurricane Charley in southwest Florida three weeks ago. Frances’ path overlapped with some of the area hit by Charley, which killed 27 people.

Officials warned the aftermath could pose even greater risks. “There are still dangers on our streets where the hurricane passed,” Governor Jeb Bush said. “Please be patient.”

Bush and 20 state and federal emergency officials surveyed damage as they flew from Tallahassee to West Palm Beach, but the governor said it was too early to assess the extent of the devastation.

President George W Bush talked to the Florida governor, who is his brother, from the White House this afternoon to assure Floridians that federal resources are in place to help respond, White House spokesman Trent Duffy said.

At least 100 National Guard troops were deployed. Suspected looters were arrested in Palm Beach, Orange and Indian River counties.

Once a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 145 mph, Frances slowed and weakened to a Category 2 storm as it neared Florida. Winds receded to a peak of 105 mph before it made landfall in Florida at Sewall’s Point, north of Palm Beach, around 0500 GMT. One gust was clocked at 115 mph.

“We don’t know what all of our damage is yet, but we know it could have been a lot worse,” Martin County administrator Russ Blackburn said.

The storm weakened further tonight, with maximum sustained winds near 75 mph, barely enough to rate it a hurricane. At 1800 GMT the core was about 55 miles east of Tampa. The storm was crawling west-northwest at 9 mph.

The storm shut down much of Florida on the traditionally busy Labour Day holiday weekend. The largest evacuation in state history sent 86,000 people to shelters. Airports in Miami and Fort Lauderdale reopened, and officials in the two counties told evacuees they could return home.

Miami’s airport was crowded with tourists whose holidays were ruined or interrupted by Frances. “I think it’s a big fuss over nothing,” said 35-year-old Geraldine Lamb, who was visiting from London.

New evacuations began in four counties in Florida’s Panhandle, where Frances is expected to hit tomorrow after crossing the northeast Gulf of Mexico. The most likely location for landfall was St George Island, forecasters said.

The scope of the enormous storm was evident tonight as bands of rain and gusty wind extended the length of the state’s 430-mile east coast from the Keys to Jacksonville and beyond along the Georgia coast. It was expected to move into the panhandle Monday, then into Georgia and Alabama.

Florida Power & Light pulled crews off the streets because of the wind, leaving four million customers without power. Nearly all of Vero Beach’s 17,705 people went without electricity.

Heavy rain transformed some neighbourhoods into waterfront property. Roads in Palm Beach County were covered by up to 4ft of water.

Police in the Orlando area said 10 thieves used a stolen car to smash into a store and steal about 10,000 dollars worth of clothing, and two men were arrested as they tried to steal an ATM machine with a chain saw.

Also today at the peak of the hurricane season, Ivan became the fifth hurricane of the year in the central Atlantic. It was about 2,400 miles east-southeast of Miami with winds of 115 mph, but officials said it was too soon to say whether it would hit the United States.