Hurricane Hermine has made landfall in Florida's Gulf coast just east of St Marks after flooding hit the state.

A state of emergency in 51 of the 67 counties was declared on Thursday after the tropical storm was upgraded to hurricane status - the first to hit the state in more than a decade.

While residents have stocked up on food and evacuated low-lying areas, winds are beginning to reach speeds of up to 80mph.

Reports suggest 270,000 homes have been left without power.

The National Hurricane Centre has warned the hurricane poses a risk of life-threatening storm surge and flooding from heavy rains.

And already, flooding has begun to build up across parts of the state, with as much as 20 inches expected to be dumped in places.

Some streets appeared to be submerged in flood water, while people were spotted wading through the flooding.

Virgil Sandlin, the police chief of Cedar Key, Florida, said: "It is a mess...we have high water in numerous places.

"I was here in 1985 for Hurricane Elena and I don't recall anything this bad", he added.