Thousands flee as hurricane heads towards US

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.

Even if the eye passes to the west, they warned, hurricane-force winds extended up to 50 miles from the centre, and tropical storm-force winds stretched up to 160 miles out.

Key West’s streets were calmer than usual early today, the result of an evacuation order issued a day earlier, but the Category 4 storm could batter the islands by evening, forecasters said. Morning breezes were expected to grow into stronger winds, joined by heavier rain and storm surges of up to 1.8 metres.

Forecasters also warned Gulf Coast residents from Florida to Louisiana to be ready for Dennis to come ashore by Sunday. With top winds at 150 mph, the storm is already “extremely dangerous,” the National Hurricane Centre said. Dennis was blamed for at least five deaths in Haiti.

Tourists were asked to leave the Alabama beaches today, and Louisiana officials planned an announcement later.

In Florida, some gas stations had already run out of fuel today, and cars lined up at those that still had supplies. State officials said fuel supplies and distribution were at normal levels, and dry pumps would be restocked by Saturday.

A hurricane warning was issued for the lower Keys. A hurricane watch was in efect for the middle and upper Keys.

Everyone in the southernmost Keys, along with all tourists and mobile home residents in the low-lying island chain, were ordered to evacuate, and Gov. Jeb Bush declared a state of emergency.

People snatched up bottles of water and other hurricane supplies as cars streamed out of the Keys.

About 4,600 more vehicles than average had left the Keys by 9pm last night, according to a state traffic counter in Key Largo. Airlines reported that nearly all flights out of Key West were full and Greyhound added buses to help get thousands of people out of the area.

But some, including lifelong Key West resident Barbara Crespo, planned to remain.

“There’s not a whole lot you can do when you live in paradise,” the 49-year-old real estate agent said as she rode bikes with her husband.

A sign outside the Conch Republic Liquors store read, “Dennis Don’t Be a Menace.”

By 4pm Irish Time, Dennis’ eye was about 130 miles west of Camaguey, Cuba, and about 250 miles south-south-east of Key West. It was wobbling slightly as it moved north-west at about 15 mph.

Forecasters said the storm could drop 4 to 8 inches of rain today over the extreme end of southern Florida. A storm surge of 1 to 2 meters was possible in the lower Keys.

At Cape Canaveral, NASA decided that Dennis would be far enough west to let the space shuttle Discovery stay on its launch pad, and the lift-off of the first shuttle mission since the Columbia disaster remains on track for Wednesday.

In Alabama, Clay Ingram, spokesman for AAA Alabama, said yesterday that many people were making hotel reservations inland as a precaution.

“Some people say, ‘I don’t care, just get me out of here, find me something,”’ Ingram said.

Many in Dennis’ projected path already got a wake-up call this week from a surprising Tropical Storm Cindy that caused three deaths, knocked out power to thousands, and spawned twisters that toppled trees and caused up to £30m damage to a famed Nascar track, the Atlanta Motor Speedway.