Hurricane Hermine

Now downgraded to a tropical storm, it is pushing north-eastward. Emergencies have been declared in Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland and Virginia.

A state of emergency remains in effect for most of Florida.

There are concerns over stagnant water in the state, which has been battling the mosquito-born Zika virus.

Gusts of 80mph (130km/h) caused storm surges that flooded part of the Florida coast.

In the town of Cedar Key, waters rose more than 9.5ft (2.9 metres), among the highest surges ever seen, according to the National Weather Service.

Hermine became the fourth hurricane of the 2016 season around mid-afternoon on Thursday (local time) when its sustained winds reached about 120 km/h.

Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency for 51 of Florida's 67 counties, and Georgia governor Nathan Deal declared state of emergency for 56 counties, as residents braced for the dangerous storm.

The last hurricane to make landfall in Florida was Wilma in 2005, the hurricane centre said.

On Thursday afternoon, the NHC extended a tropical storm watch to Sandy Hook, New Jersey.