A house trailer sits destroyed after Hurricane Frances passed through West Boynton Beach, Florida, September 5, 2004.(Reuters)

Hurricane Frances is set to cause billions of dollars in insured losses in the US, experts predict.

The storm has hit the Florida coast, uprooting trees and cutting power to hundreds of thousands of homes.

Florida Power and Light said 459,000 customers had been cut off, despite the storm weakening.

As it batters the "Sunshine State", Frances could cause between $2bn and $10bn in insured damages, industry group Risk Management Solutions said.

In the UK, further flights to the area have been cancelled, while earlier axed flights meant that some 6,000 Britons on package holidays, and many more flight-only travellers, have been unable to return home.

The thousands that had been due to fly this weekend have been told they can apply for refunds or book alternative flights.

Hurricane Frances has weakened to a category two storm from a category four, but still remains dangerous.

Before the storms hit the US, about 2.8 million people had been moved to safety inland, while 70,000 residents and tourists took refuge in shelters.

Some areas in Frances' path have yet to recover from Hurricane Charley, a more powerful but much smaller hurricane that caused more than $7bn (￡3.8bn) in insured losses and killed more than 20 people last month after coming ashore on Florida's south-west coast.

Fears that the latest storm would damage Florida's citrus industry saw orange juice prices hit nine-month highs on the commodity markets, while fears that Alabama plantations could be hit also pushed cotton prices higher.

Elsewhere, the domestic airline industry is set to suffer as Americans cut short their travel plans for the long holiday weekend.

Michael Boyd, an aviation consultant at the Boyd Group, said he expected airlines to lose out to the tune of $35m to $40m.

Ahead of Charley, the Wal-Mart chain closed around 75 stores in preparation, and later blamed the event for a decline in August sales.

For retailers and airlines, the timing of the storm could not be worse, coming as it does on Labor Day weekend. The public holiday on Monday makes up one of the four long weekends that usually mean big sales for stores.

However, not all retailers look set to lose out, as shops selling food and home improvement tools could benefit in the aftermath.

DIY chain Home Depot said it had already seen strong demand, as Florida residents prepared for Hurricane Frances to hit by rushing to buy plywood to board up their houses.

Food retailers also reported a surge in sales as Florida residents stocked up on bottled water, tinned food and other essentials.

The worst such natural disaster in the region, Hurricane Andrew, caused damage estimated at $20bn when it struck in 1992, contributing to devastating losses on the Lloyd's of London insurance market.

But analysts say insurers have since limited their exposure to hurricane damage, with the Florida government taking on a bigger role in disaster insurance.

(Agencies)

uproot: destroy completely, as if down to the roots（連根拔起，根除）

batter : strike against forcefully（打擊）