Hurricane Milton reaches category 5 status: Florida issues evacuations and races to clear Helene's wreckage

Hurricane Milton has strengthened rapidly into a Category 5 storm and is going to make landfall on the west coast of Florida on Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Centre ’s live Hurricane tracker.

Hurricane Milton is going to hit the shore of the Tampa Bay region with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph (285 kph). Milton gained strength quickly on Monday over the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

It has not even been two weeks since Hurricane Helene ravaged the Florida coastline.

The system 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.

It is expected that Hurricane Milton will weaken to a Category 3 storm when it hits the shore of the Tampa Bay area, which hasn’t experienced a head-on hit by a major hurricane in more than a century.

It could maintain its hurricane strength as it moves across central Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean. Possibly sparing other states that were hit hard by Helene, which left at least 230 dead in its wake from Florida to the Carolinas.

Florida governor Ron DeSantis during a press briefing said that the hurricane is already much stronger than predicted.

The Gulf Coast, especially Tampa Bay is going to face the highest ever predicted storm surge of 8 to 12 feet in the region. Helene, which hit 150 miles from Tampa, caused surges up to 8 feet, resulting in drowning deaths.

Rainfall of 5 to 10 inches is expected across mainland Florida and the Keys, with up to 15 inches in some areas.

Tampa International Airport said it will stop flights at 9 am Tuesday. The airport posted on X that it is not a shelter for people or their cars. St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport said it is in a mandatory evacuation zone and will close after the last flight leaves on Tuesday.

🚨 TPA TO CLOSE DUE TO MILTON 🚨⁰
🛑 We will suspend flight operations at 9 a.m. Tuesday and reopen when safe to do so⁰⁰✈️ Check directly with your airline for flight updates⁰⁰⛈️ TPA is not a shelter for people or vehicles⁰⁰📲 Stay tuned to our social media for more info pic.twitter.com/G4UxrR0BpP

— Tampa International Airport ✈️ (@FlyTPA) October 7, 2024

Traffic was heavy on Interstate 75 heading north Monday as evacuees fled ahead of Milton. Crews are also working quickly to clear debris left behind by Helene.