Florida and two other US states have ordered residents to evacuate as Hurricane Dorian approaches the southeastern coast after causing extensive damage to the Bahamas.

The Category 4 hurricane, downgraded from the most powerful Category 5, was moving westward about 170 kilometers off the coast of Florida on Monday local time.

Dorian is expected to come close to Florida from Tuesday to Wednesday while maintaining its intensity. The storm is packing winds of up to around 240 kilometers per hour.

The states of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina have issued immediate evacuation orders to more than one million people living in coastal areas, warning that the hurricane could be life-threatening.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, or IFRC, says Dorian caused extensive damage to the Bahamas where it made landfall.

The group says up to 13,000 houses may have been severely damaged or destroyed, and that extensive flooding on the island of Abaco is believed to have contaminated wells with saltwater. It says supplies of drinking water are urgently needed.

NHK