Hurricane Dennis hits US @ 193 kph

Hurricane Dennis came ashore on the coasts of Alabama and northwest Florida with a 193-kph fury of blinding squalls, crashing waves and flying debris that followed in the ruinous footprints of Ivan just 10 months ago.

The storm crossed land about 3:25 pm EDT on Sunday (2305 IST) near the same state-line spot where Ivan arrived, pounding beachfronts already painfully exposed by denuded dunes, flattened neighbourhoods and piles of rubble that threatened to turn into deadly missiles.

By 5 p.m. EDT (0230 IST Monday), Dennis' sustained winds had dropped to 169 kph, making it a Category 2 storm, forecasters said.

"I'm watching building pieces and signs come off. The storm surge is actually starting to come up," said Nick Zangari, who rode out the storm in his New York Nick's restaurant and bar in downtown Pensacola. "We were hearing like explosions that must have been like air condition units from other buildings smashing to the ground. ... There were parts of buildings and awnings all around."

Streets in the communities of Pensacola Beach and Fort Walton Beach, Florida and Gulf Shores, Alabama, were all but deserted as few residents were willing to brave an expected 5.5-meter storm surge and up to 38 cm of rain. The Florida cities are on the northwestern sliver of the state known as the Panhandle.

White-capped waves spewed four-story geysers over sea walls. Sideways, blinding rain mixed with seawater blew in sheets, toppling roadside signs for hotels and gas stations. A buoy just off shore recorded a wave 10.5 meters high.