The eye of Hurricane Ivan has hit Alabama in the United States, with winds of up to 135 miles an hour battering the coastline.
The hurricane, which has already killed more than 60 people in the Caribbean, is pounding a 370 mile stretch of the Gulf Coast, from Louisiana to Florida.
Authorities said it would be hours before they could properly assess the extent of the damage, and look for anyone left injured or stranded.
Winds and waves have destroyed homes and flooded deep inland.
The huge storm is spreading across Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida as it moves inland from the Gulf of Mexico.
Experts said Ivan could cause up to $10 billion in insured losses in the US on top of the up to $2 billion in losses in the Caribbean.
More than two million people have left their homes and fled inland.
Earlier two deaths in northwest Florida were attributed to the storm's advance winds.
US President George W Bush has said his government has offered assistance to states struck by the storm.
Elsewhere, the Caribbean is on renewed alert as Tropical Storm Jeanne threatens Puerto Rico.
