Hurricane Irene hammers Bahamas before it hits US

The first hurricane of the Atlantic season has grown into a category three storm, with winds of 120 mph (190km/h), and is expected to become stronger.

The hurricane already prompted evacuations in the Outer Banks islands off North Carolina and people are stocking up on supplies in coastal areas of the US state.

The huge storm has brought flooding and power cuts across the Caribbean.

Tourists rushed to the airport on Wednesday to catch the final flights out. Smaller hotels closed and larger resorts were fully booked, with people seeking a place to ride out the storm.

Also, cruise lines have rerouted ships in the region to avoid the storm's path.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned that "an extremely dangerous storm surge will raise water levels by as much as seven to 11 feet (2.1 to 3.4 meters) above normal tide levels over the central and north-western Bahamas".

The NHC said it expected Irene to grow into a category four storm on Thursday with winds of 135 mph.

While the exact track of the hurricane, and whether it would make a US landfall, was uncertain, American emergency officials said the east coast from the Carolinas to New England was preparing for its impact.

"This is going to be a big storm. Just because it hits one area doesn't mean its not going to cause damage further up the coast," said Craig Fugate, the head of the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema).

On Mayaguana Island, part of the Bahamas, Irene has damaged roofs and blown down trees and lampposts, leaving the island without electricity, Associated Press reported.

Capt Stephen Russell, the head of the National Emergency Management Agency in the Bahamas, was also reported as saying by AP news agency that two southern islands have also been hard hit.

Two settlements had been devastated on Acklins and Crooked islands, both of which have populations of several hundred, he said.

Up to 12 inches (30cm) of rain was expected in parts of the Bahamas, making roads impassable in the capital, Nassau.

The hurricane already claimed one life so far, when a 63-year-old woman attempted to drive over a swollen river near the capital of Puerto Rico.

On Tuesday, more than 80 families in the town of Canovanas lost their homes when a river rose suddenly in heavy rain, El Nuevo Dia newspaper said.

Hundreds of people in the Dominican Republic took refuge in schools and churches after they were displaced by storm flooding.

US President Barack Obama declared an emergency, making the island, a US protectorate, eligible for federal help.