Hurricane Dennis Grows to Level 4

Hurricane Dennis reached Category 4 strength Thursday night as it churned just off the coast of Cuba, while Florida officials ordered a mandatory evacuation of the lower Florida Keys.

Florida Gov. Jeb Bush declared a state of emergency to mobilize resources to deal with the impending storm, which packed maximum sustained winds of 135 mph late Thursday.

Dennis is poised to strike central Cuba Friday and then menace the lower Florida Keys early Saturday morning before moving into the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center.
CNN