Anita Snow, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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HAVANA - Hurricane Ike roared south of Cuba's densely populated capital and its fragile historic buildings Tuesday as the powerful storm continued to rip its way along the length of the Caribbean's largest island.

Winds howled and heavy rains fell across Havana, where streets were empty of cars and people Tuesday morning. At least four storm-related deaths have been reported in Cuba despite the evacuation of 1.2 million people to government shelters and other safe areas.

Meanwhile, Texas and northern Mexico braced for Ike's next wallop as the storm was poised to move out into the Gulf of Mexico by Tuesday evening where it was expected to regain much of the strength it lost over Cuba.

Cuba, which has carried out well-executed evacuations over the years, ordered hundreds of thousands of people to seek safety with friends and relatives or at government shelters, state television reported.

"I feel safe here, above all for my granddaughters who are the most important thing in my life," said Marta Molas, who evacuated with seven relatives from her Havana home. "They take good care of us, we have television and food. ... When the electricity goes out we have a radio."

The government closed schools and government offices in the capital as people reinforced windows with wood and formed long lines at bakeries. Along the seaside Malecon promenade, businesses were shut down.

"The truth is, we are scared," said Nancy Nazal, who lives on the second floor of a high-rise apartment building overlooking the ocean.

State television reported that Ike killed four people in Cuba - the island's first storm deaths this year. Two men were killed removing an antenna from a roof, a woman died when her home collapsed and a man was killed by a falling tree.

No one was killed when Gustav tore across western Cuba as a monstrous Category 4 hurricane on Aug. 30, damaging 100,000 homes and causing billions of dollars in damage. That was largely because 250,000 people were evacuated.

Ike was pounding the same area hit by Gustav, and Cuban meteorologist Jose Rubiera urged residents to be very careful.

"We must be careful with the winds, and the rubble that can be kicked up by the gusts," he said on state television.

Evacuations are not mandatory in Cuba except for pregnant women and small children. But few people ignore government warnings and the state news media publicizes examples of people killed when they fail to heed evacuation advice.

After raking the Bahamas and worsening floods in Haiti that have killed at least 331 people, Ike made landfall on eastern Cuba as a terrifying Category 3 hurricane, then weakened Monday as it ran along the length of the island.

It was a Category 1 storm on Tuesday just off Cuba's southern coast, gaining strength over warm waters on a path expected to take it across western Cuba during the day and move out over the Gulf of Mexico in the evening. Forecasters said it would strengthen before hitting Texas or northern Mexico this weekend.

"When it's out of Cuba it has the potential to become a lot stronger," said Felix Garcia, a meteorologist at the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.

At 5 a.m. EDT, Ike was 135 kilometres south-southeast of Havana and moving west at 21 kilometres an hour. It had maximum sustained winds near 130 km/h.

On the narrow streets of Camaguey, falling utility poles crushed cars and the roaring wind transformed buildings of stone and brick into piles of rubble.

Colonial columns were toppled and the ornate sculptures on the roofs of centuries-old buildings were smashed in the central Cuban city, a UNESCO world heritage site.

"I have never seen anything like it in my life. So much force is terrifying," said Olga Alvarez, 70, huddling in her living room with her husband and teenage grandson. "We barely slept last night. It was just 'boom, boom, boom."'

Delia Oliveras, 64, said it was the strongest hurricane her family has experienced. They fled to a covered patio as winds tore the roof from the living room.

"This critter was angry, really angry," she said.

Ike destroyed 300 homes and damaged hundreds more in the eastern city of Baracoa, said Luis Torres, president of the Civil Defence Council in Guantanamo province.

Much of eastern Cuba was without electricity and phone service was spotty. The road between Santiago and Guantanamo was cut when a reservoir overflowed.

State television said officials had taken measures to protect tourists at vulnerable seaside hotels, including about 10,000 foreigners at the Varadero resort, east of Havana.