FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Hurricane Katrina dumped sheets of rain, kicked up the surf, and blew strong winds along the densely populated southeast coast yesterday, killing two people shortly after it struck land.

Katrina’s maximum sustained winds increased to 80 mph before the Category 1 storm made landfall along the Miami-Dade and Broward county line between Hallandale Beach and North Miami Beach, a hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Lixion Avila, said.

An estimated 5.9 million Florida residents were in Katrina’s projected path.

“It’s like a ghost town out here,” said Mark Darress, concierge at the Astor Hotel in Miami Beach, where the nighttime crowds generally clog the streets. “I see the random, not so smart people, riding scooters every now and then.”

A man in his 20s in Fort Lauderdale was crushed by a falling tree as he sat alone in his car, while a pedestrian was killed by a falling tree in the Fort Lauderdale suburb of Plantation.

Rain fell in horizontal sheets and blew gusts of up to 92 mph, toppling trees and street signs. Seas were estimated at 15 feet, and sand blew across and covered waterfront streets. Florida Power & Light said more than 412,000 customers were without electricity.

Category 1 storms have maximum sustained winds of 74 to 95 mph, and wind damage to secured structures is usually minimal. Weather officials said Katrina was mostly a rain event, with flooding the main concern.

“In essence, this is a very dangerous storm. It’s important to take this seriously,” Governor Jeb Bush said.

As the storm took aim on the coast, flights were canceled at Miami and Fort Lauderdale airports.

The hurricane forced MTV to cancel or postpone some of the performances leading up to its award show, including festivities celebrating the release of Ricky Martin’s new album. The show itself, planned for Sunday in Miami Beach, isn’t expected to be affected.

Floridians wary of Katrina prepared by putting up shutters, stacking sandbags in doorways, and stocking up on supplies.

At a supermarket in Hollywood, Cassandra Butler hefted two five-gallon bottles of water as well as a 24-pack of smaller bottles into her shopping cart Thursday.

“It’s not that I’m worried. I’ve been in south Florida all my life,” Ms. Butler said. “But this is a feature of life down here, and you are smart to deal with it.”

Katrina was the second hurricane to hit the state this year – Dennis hit the Panhandle last month – and the sixth since August 13, 2004. Katrina formed Wednesday over the Bahamas and was expected to cross Florida before heading into the Gulf of Mexico.