Hurricane Katrina killed four people, cut power to 2.4 million and left Florida's densely populated south-east coast littered on Friday with branches and fallen trees. Katrina had been downgraded to a tropical storm as it churned across the swampy Everglades, but it strengthened back into a hurricane as it moved over warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico.
The hurricane dumped up to 12 inches (30.5 cm) of rain after coming ashore just south of Fort Lauderdale on Thursday and then made a slow and punishing trek south-west across southern Florida, said the US National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Sheets of rain flooded neighbourhoods and fierce gusts stripped tiles off roofs, tore away mosquito screens and shattered trees, leaving neighbourhoods piled high with tree limbs and leaves. Boats tore loose from their mooring.
By 9 am (1300 GMT) on Friday, Katrina was centered 45 miles (73 km) north-north-west of Key West, Florida, and was moving west at 6 mph (9 kph). Winds were near 75 mph (120 kph) and expected to strengthen, the center said.
Three people were killed by falling trees during the storm, including a man who died when a tree brought down a power line onto his car, television station WFOR said. A fourth person died when his car struck a tree.
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