Not even two weeks after Hurricane Helene swamped the Florida coastline, Milton has strengthened rapidly into a major hurricane on a path toward the state.
Here are nine things to know about this latest hurricane.
Evacuations
Milton is threatening the densely populated Tampa metro area, which has a population of more than 3.3 million people, with a potential direct hit and menacing the same stretch of coastline that was battered by Helene.
Traffic was thick with drives heading north on I-75 Monday. Evacuating residents are trying to get out before the storm lands.
Meanwhile, crews are still working to try to clear debris left by Helene.
When will Milton make landfall?
According to the National Hurricane Center’s Live Hurricane Tracker, Milton will make landfall late Wednesday.
How strong will it be?
When Milton makes landfall, it’s expected to be a Category 3 hurricane, with winds of 111-129 mph.
Where will it hit?
Milton is expected to hit the west coast of Florida in the Tampa Bay region, which has not endured a head-on hit by a major hurricane in more than a century.
It could retain hurricane strength as it churns across central Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean. That track would largely spare other states ravaged by Helene, which killed at least 230 people on its path from Florida to the Carolinas.
Category 5 strength Monday
Milton intensified quickly over the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday afternoon that the hurricane was far stronger than what was predicted two days ago.
By late Monday afternoon, Milton had intensified to a Category 5 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph.
It was centered about 675 miles southwest of Tampa at the time.
Downgrade to Category 4
Milton’s winds eased to 155 mph by early Tuesday, and the hurricane was downgraded to Category 4 status.
It was centered about 560 miles southwest of Tampa at the time.
Despite the downgrade, the hurricane center said Milton still posed “an extremely serious threat to Florida.”
Storm surge concerns
The entire Gulf Coast of Florida is especially vulnerable to storm surge.
Hurricane Helene came ashore some 150 miles away from Tampa in the Florida Panhandle and still managed to cause drowning deaths in the Tampa area due to surges of around 5-8 feet above normal tide levels.
Forecasters warned of a possible storm surge of 8-12 feet in Tampa Bay. That’s the highest ever predicted for the location and nearly double the levels reached two weeks ago during Helene, said hurricane center spokeswoman Maria Torres.
Flooding
Milton could also bring widespread flooding. Five to 10 inches of rain was forecast for mainland Florida and the Keys, with as much as 15 inches expected in some places.
Travel plans
Tampa International Airport plans to stop flights at 9 a.m. Tuesday. The airport posted on X that it is not a shelter for people or their cars.
St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport is in a mandatory evacuation zone and will close after the last flight leaves Tuesday.