MIAMI, Aug 13 (AFP) - Hurricane Charley, with winds of up to 145 miles (233 kilometers) per hour, struck Florida`s coast at Senibel, Friday, CBS television reported.
"It`s blowing pretty good and the house is shaking and rocking," local resident Bill Kirkland told the local CBS affiliated station.
"A lot of trees are down, We`ve lost power and have a generator going," said Kirkland, who said he lives 1.6 kilometers (one mile) from the coast.
"Right now we have no choice but to ride out the storm," he said.
More than one million Florida residents were told to move out of the path of the storm.
The Category 4 hurricane hit Florida near Captiva Island after sweeping through Cuba for more than two hours, tearing roofs off houses and ripping up trees.
Florida authorities have urged more than one million people along the western coast to head inland.
The National Hurricane Center warned of storm surge flooding of up to 13 feet (3.9 meters) along the Florida coast, with potential flash floods and mudslides.