Katrina Strengthens, Florida Views Damage

Hurricane Katrina rapidly strengthened as it moved slowly away from a shaken South Florida Friday.

Forecasters said Katrina could become a Category 3 hurricane by Saturday. With maximum sustained winds near 100 mph, the storm was centered about 45 miles northwest of Key West, Fla., at noon, moving toward the west at nearly 7 mph.

Surprised residents of Miami-Dade and Broward counties assessed the floods, blocked roads and damage to houses and trees after an overnight onslaught. Four people were reported dead, three of them killed by falling trees.

The Coast Guard searched for a couple believed to have departed the Middle Keys in their boat Thursday morning with their three children, en route to Cape Coral on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

About 1.2 million customers were still without power in the region, the Miami Herald said.

Public schools are closed Friday in Broward, Miami-Dade and the Florida Keys. Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport were out of service.