Hurricane Charley strengthened dramatically as it neared Florida's west coast this evening with powerful 145 mph winds that sent tens of thousands of people scrambling to higher ground.
Charley grew to a Category 4 hurricane capable of extensive damage to homes and buildings, the US National Hurricane Center said.
It threatened to whip up a 14-foot storm surge that could flood low-lying areas around Tampa Bay and coastal communities to the south.
Florida authorities issued evacuation warnings to as many as 2 million people potentially at risk.
Emergency managers in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater, the three largest cities in the area, urged people to move from beach communities, flood-prone lowlands and mobile home parks. Charley could push up to 14 feet of water into Tampa Bay.
Schools, public buildings and most businesses were closed in the Tampa area. A stream of cars and trucks moved inland as authorities warned that bridges and causeways to and from beaches will likely close at the height of the storm, meaning rescuers will not be able to respond to calls for help.
Hurricane Charley uprooted thousands of trees in Havana, ripped off roofs and downed power lines during three hours of terrifying pounding in the blacked-out Cuban capital overnight.
Three people died in Havana during the hurricane of causes that are being investigated and four people were injured, one of them seriously.
Charley formed on Tuesday in the Caribbean Sea south of Puerto Rico and moved quickly toward Jamaica, killing one person there. It pummeled the Cayman Islands before striking Cuba.