Terrible Ivan claims 12 lives in US

Hurricane Ivan slammed into the southern coast of the United States today, claiming at least 12 lives and causing widespread damage.

The storm’s 130mph winds tore apart houses, felled trees and knocked out power to about half a million homes, while storm surges and heavy rains caused flooding.

Among the dead was an eight-year-old girl, killed when a tree fell on to her mobile home in Florida.

The storm began to weaken as it passed over land but it is expected to dump up to 15 inches of rain, which could create further catastrophic flooding.

Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama were declared disaster areas by President George Bush. Florida was expected to join that list.

There was relief for the people of New Orleans, which faced destruction if it took a direct hit.

The city could have been swamped under a 20ft storm surge, mixed with a toxic cocktail of sewage, chemicals and natural gas from nearby facilities.

In the worst case, tens of thousands might have drowned in the city which is below sea level but Ivan eventually came ashore further east over Alabama.

“We have never seen a hurricane of this size come into Alabama,” said state governor Bob Riley.

Most of the deaths were in Florida when tornadoes spun off the hurricane and roared ashore.

Two people died and more than 200 homes were damaged when at least five tornadoes hit Bay County.

Five more people were killed when another tornado levelled homes in Blountstown and an eight-year-old girl died after being crushed by a tree that fell onto her mobile home in Milton. Her parents escaped unharmed.

A terminally ill cancer patient, two nursing home residents and a housebound patient died after being evacuated from their homes in southern Louisiana.

Nearly 70 people were killed as “Ivan the Terrible” tore through the Caribbean in recent days.

Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Centre in Miami, warned that Ivan would continue to wreak havoc in the southern United States, despite weakening to a category one storm with 80mph winds.

He warned of heavy rains and inland flooding: “I hate to think about what’s going to happen inland,” he said.

At least 260,000 homes and businesses were without power in Alabama, 36,500 in Louisiana, 70,000 in Mississippi and 300,000 in western Florida.

Florida is still reeling from direct hits by Hurricanes Charley and Frances in recent weeks.

Waves over 25ft high destroyed homes along the Florida coast and a nursing home lost all power, meaning desperately-needed oxygen machines could not function.

As the Gulf Coast was being battered, the wife of presidential contender John Kerry raised eyebrows during a campaign stop in New York.

Teresa Heinz Kerry joined volunteers packing supplies for those worst hit by the storm in the Caribbean but said she feared they were concentrating on sending too many clothes and not

enough water or electricity generators.

“Clothing is wonderful but let them go naked for a while, at least the kids,” she said. Water is necessary, and then generators, and then food, and then clothes.”

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Jeanne became a hurricane in the Caribbean. Jeanne’s 80mph winds ripped across the north coast of Puerto Rico beating a path towards Florida.