Hurricane Dennis strengthened to a Category 4 storm as it drew closer the Gulf Coast. Nearly 1.4 million people are under evacuation orders.

The hardest hit areas are expected to stretch from the eastern end of Louisiana to the Panhandle of Florida as of Sunday morning, according to the National Hurricane Centre. Many towns in the area are almost deserted, according to the Associated Press.

The Salvation Army has announced 15 mobile feeding units will gather in Tallahassee, Sunday by 5 p.m. to prepare for disaster relief efforts.

The storm, which had weakened to Category 2 over Cuba late last week, strengthened as it passed through the Gulf area, reaching sustained windspeeds of 145mph.

Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami says that Category 4 storms are "not just a little bit worse - it's much worse," according to AP

"Damage increases exponentially as the windspeed increases. And no matter where it makes actual landfall, it's going to have a tremendous impact," he added.

The storm has already been blamed for at least 20 deaths in Haiti and Cuba. Yesterday, the storm knocked out power and flooded streets in the Florida Keys as it passed to the right of the islands.

Around 700,000 people are under orders to evacuate in Florida, 500,000 in Alabama and 190,000 in Mississippi. Interstate 65 in Montgomery, Alabama has been turned into a one-way route, according to AP.

Police have gon