Hurricane Milton continues to gather strength as it churns eastward across the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida.
As of early Monday morning, the storm had grown from a Category 3 to a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 150 mph. By noontime, the storm had strengthened to a Category 5, with sustained winds of 160 mph.
Forecasters predict the storm, currently tracking at about 9 mph, will land in the Tampa area on Wednesday before moving across Central Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean.
Hurricane Helene struck northern Florida less than two weeks ago and was a Category 4 storm at landfall. The storm then turned northward, causing catastrophic damage in several southeastern states and killing at least 227 people.
Hurricane Milton could bring a possible 8- to 12-foot storm surge to the Tampa Bay area and as much as 15 inches of rain to some areas of Florida. Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, has ordered an evacuation for areas near Tampa Bay and all residents living in mobile and manufactured homes.
State workers are staging emergency gasoline supplies and electric charging stations along evacuation routes.
“We are preparing … for the largest evacuation that we have seen, most likely since 2017, Hurricane Irma,” said Kevin Guthrie, the executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, per WFAA.
City garages in Tampa have opened to the public, allowing residents to park their vehicles on the higher levels to avoid flood damage.
The Tampa International Airport announced it would cease operations Tuesday morning, while the St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport will shut down Tuesday night.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for 51 counties and has advised residents to prepare for more power outages and make sure they have at least a week’s worth of food and water.
DeSantis has also ordered that all landfills in areas previously affected by Hurricane Helene remain open so that cleanup work can continue ahead of Hurricane Milton’s arrival. He said previous storm debris must be cleared so as not to become airborne during the coming storm.
Schools in Pinellas County, including St. Petersburg, have closed for several days and are being converted into shelters.
“This is the real deal here with Milton,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said at a news conference, per WFAA. “If you want to take on Mother Nature, she wins 100% of the time.”