, Fla., July 9 (UPI) -- Over 1 million residents of Florida and Louisiana were ordered to evacuate Saturday as Hurricane Dennis moved toward the Florida Panhandle.
The center of the storm was located about 90 miles west-southwest of Key West Saturday morning with outer bands already reaching parts of Polk County, Fla., reported WKMG-TV in Orlando.
Parts of southern Florida where Dennis doesn't strike directly are expecting heavy rain and possibly tornadoes.
The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch in Sumter, Marion, Lake and Polk counties until at least 11 p.m. EDT Saturday.
At 3 p.m. Saturday, the center of Dennis was located about 295 miles south-southeast of Apalachicola, Fla. and about 460 miles southeast of Pascagoula, Miss.
Dennis was moving northwest at 14 mph and was expected to pick up momentum over the next 24 hours. Winds have reached over 100 mph.
