After killing at least 16 people in the Caribbean, the powerful hurricane claimed at least one life in the United States, where it caused severe flooding and spawned tornadoes.

But the storm moved over the area swiftly, apparently causing less damage than initially feared.

"We need to say a little prayer tonight because the Good Lord took care of us," said Ron McNesby, sheriff of the Escambia County, where the hurricane slammed ashore Sunday afternoon.

US President George W. Bush nevertheless declared that parts of Florida, Alabama and Mississippi were in a state of "major disaster," which makes them immediately eligible for federal emergency aid.

The powerful storm left many coastal areas without power after it made landfall near Pensacola, Florida, the city worst hit by Ivan, one of four hurricanes that pounded the southeastern US state last year.

Dennis felled trees, downed power lines, sent roofs flying, flooded residential areas and threatened structures weakened by Ivan 10 months ago.

It was a powerful category three hurricane, on a scale of five, when it came ashore, packing winds of up to 192 kilometers (120 miles) per hour, but was downgraded to a tropical storm later Sunday after it moved inland.

Emergency crews were set to head out to assess the damage on Monday, but Florida Governor Jeb Bush warned that many people living in temporary shelters since Ivan struck might once again find themselves homeless.

"A lot of people are going to hurt, particularly the hundreds of thousands who live in trailers," he said at a news conference shortly after Dennis hit land.

The governor, a brother of the US president, said 2,600 members of the national guard would deploy to the worst affected areas, where emergency supplies distribution should start on Monday.

Many of the structures damaged last year were still under repair after being damaged when Ivan, also a category three storm, struck 10 months ago, killing at least 30 people.

Florida's emergency division chief Craig Fugate said Dennis appeared to have caused far less damage than Hurricane Ivan did, but insisted that didn't mean residents were spared the fury of the storm.

"The term 'dodged the bullet' for someone who has just got flooded, had a tree fall on their house or is without power is a poor description," Fugate said.

Authorities had ordered 1.5 million people to evacuate coastal areas ranging from western Florida to New Orleans, and urged residents to remain indoors until Monday because of the risk posed by downed trees and power lines.

Oil rigs and platforms in the Gulf of Mexico had been evacuated ahead of the storm, and several airports were closed.

In Cuba, President Fidel Castro said the hurricane had killed 10 people and temporarily displaced another 1.5 million as it crossed the island.

In Haiti, Dennis left at least five people dead, 20 injured and 30 listed as missing, and caused 8,000 people to flee their homes.

In Jamaica, a man reportedly died when he was washed away in flood waters.

When the storm entered the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday, its outer bands raged over southern Florida, where one person was killed by a downed power line in Fort Lauderdale.

NASA has also been keeping a close eye on the weather system, but said Dennis could actually clear away inclement weather ahead of Wednesday's planned liftoff of Discovery, the first US space shuttle launch since flights were grounded after the February 2003 Columbia disaster.

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