Ike strengthened to an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm Saturday near the Turks and Caicos Islands with winds near 135 mph, said the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida.
People try to get on one of the last flights out of the Turks and Caicos on Saturday before Hurricane Ike hits.
The storm was expected to hit the British crown colony, which was pummeled this week for four days by Tropical Storm Hanna.
Preparations stretched more than 1,000 miles as the storm took a southwesterly shift that could send it over Cuba and the Florida Keys by Tuesday before heading into the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. And once again, a possible target was New Orleans, Louisiana.
At 11 p.m. ET Saturday, the storm was moving west-southwest at 15 mph (215 kph). Most tourists and residents fled the Caribbean islands ahead of the powerful hurricane.
The British government arranged extra flights to move visitors to Turks and Caicos out of harm's way before the Providenciales airport was forced to close about noon.
"The flights look impossible at the moment," Bahamian Patrick Munroe told The Associated Press at the airport.
"As I watched the weather forecast, it looks really, really serious, and I think it's going to be devastating," he told AP.
"I don't remember ever seeing a mass exodus like this," Providenciales resident Tracy Paradis told the AP. She intended to fly to Seattle, Washington, with her 19-month-old twins and return after the hurricane.
Cubans were being warned that Ike was a "true danger," and government officials began emergency preparations.
On Saturday, Cuban officials asked the U.S. to loosen the "ruthless and cruel" decades-old trade embargo on the Communist-ruled island in the wake of deadly flooding caused by powerful storms. Cuba was also hit hard by Hurricane Gustav.
"If the government of the United States is really willing to cooperate with the Cuban people in face of the tragedy of the hurricane, it is requested to allow the sale to Cuba of those materials considered indispensable and to suspend the restrictions that prevent U.S. companies from offering private commercial credits to our country for the purchase of food in the United States," said the statement from the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"In all truth, the only correct and ethical action ... would be to eliminate totally and permanently the ruthless and cruel economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed against our Motherland for almost half a century," the statement said.
The U.S. State Department issued a statement Friday, after government officials had offered to help Cuban flood victims.
"We do not believe that at this time it is necessary to loosen the restrictions on remittances and travel to Cuba to accomplish the objective of aiding the hurricane victims," the statement said.
Meanwhile, visitors to the Florida Keys were told Saturday to pack up and leave.
"We're sorry to interrupt their vacations, but we need visitors to leave the Keys to ensure their safety," said Keys Mayor Mario Di Gennaro, who also chairs the islands' Tourism Council. "We do hope they will return and understand our concerns for their well-being."
Florida emergency management officials began evacuating visitors from Key West and the rest of the Keys on Saturday and planned to help residents leave Sunday.
Officials in Monroe County, which includes the Keys, prepared by closing or planning to close schools and state, officials said in a written statement.
There will be no commercial flights to Key West starting Sunday night, and the airport won't be reopened until the storm passes, Key West Airport Director Peter Horton said. The suspension of flights also applies to the airport at Marathon Key, an hour's drive from Key West, he said.
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