Warnings to evacuate intensified as Hurricane Milton began pounding the Tampa Bay area with heavy rain and fierce winds.

The powerful hurricane, projected to cause catastrophic damage, is marching steadily towards Florida’s west coast, where authorities issued urgent calls for residents to leave immediately or risk facing life-threatening consequences.

The National Hurricane Center has cautioned that Milton’s exact landfall remains uncertain due to potential shifts in its path, but it warned that the entire Tampa Bay area and surrounding regions are in severe danger.

As of Wednesday afternoon, tropical storm-force winds were just off the coast, signaling the looming threat of Milton’s full force.

“This is your last chance to leave,” said Cathie Perkins, the emergency management director for Pinellas County, which forms a major part of Tampa Bay.

Referring to the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, she added, “If you were hit hard by Helene, this storm will be much worse. You need to evacuate now.”

Milton, a fluctuating Category 4 hurricane throughout its approach, was expected to remain at this intensity or even strengthen further before making landfall.

Experts predict it will tear across central Florida with destructive force.

Tampa Bay, which hasn’t been directly hit by a major hurricane in over 100 years, finds itself in the path of what could be a historic storm.

Meanwhile, communities across the region are still grappling with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which swept through two weeks prior, leaving a wake of flooding and debris.

Milton is expected to generate a storm surge as high as 12 feet in Tampa Bay and even up to 15 feet in areas to the south, such as Sarasota and Fort Myers.

Local municipalities have been scrambling to clear debris from Helene’s damage in hopes of minimizing additional destruction when Milton hits.

Residents who experienced Helene’s wrath have been quick to take precautions.

Mary Ann Fairman, an 84-year-old woman who had stayed home during the last storm, decided to head to a shelter this time.

“The Gulf is almost in our backyard,” she explained, settling in among a thousand other evacuees at a shelter in West Bradenton.

She had packed blankets, snacks, and toiletries, determined to avoid the chaos and danger she feared could come.

In Pasco County, which borders Tampa Bay and houses over 500,000 residents, officials announced that they were preparing to halt bus services as the storm neared, giving a final warning for residents to seek shelter.

“This is it. If you need a ride, take it now. After this, you’re on your own.”

Among the urgent preparations, iconic landmarks such as the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, which spans Tampa Bay, were closed as winds grew more intense.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, during a press briefing in Tallahassee, outlined the state’s wide-reaching efforts to combat the storm’s impacts.

The emergency response included 9,000 National Guard members, tens of thousands of utility workers, and patrols to escort gasoline deliveries for those fleeing.

“Sadly, we are anticipating fatalities,” DeSantis remarked. “There’s no avoiding it when dealing with a storm of this magnitude.”

As of midday Wednesday, Hurricane Milton was located approximately 160 miles southwest of Tampa, packing winds of 145 mph as it pushed northeast at a speed of 17 mph.

The storm’s impact is expected to continue well into Thursday as it travels across Florida, threatening heavily populated areas such as Orlando.

Meteorologists have warned of widespread flooding, with 6 to 12 inches of rainfall predicted, and isolated areas seeing up to 18 inches.

Already, southern Florida has been battered by rain and tornadoes.

A tornado touched down in the Everglades, while another one tore through Fort Myers, leaving a trail of destruction, including damage to a gas station.

Mandatory evacuation orders now cover 11 counties in Florida, affecting nearly 6 million residents.

Authorities have emphasized that those who choose to stay must be prepared to face the storm without assistance, as emergency responders won’t be able to reach them during the worst of the storm.

In St. Petersburg, Mayor Ken Welch urged the public to brace for power outages and the potential failure of the city’s sewer system.

“We will recover,” he reassured residents, “but for now, focus on staying safe.”

In communities like Charlotte Harbor, which was inundated by floodwaters from Helene, residents are rushing to evacuate.

Josh Parks, an auto technician, recounted how five feet of water invaded his neighborhood just two weeks ago.

This time, he’s leaving to stay with family inland, telling his roommate to “pack like you’re not coming back.”

Meanwhile, in Gulfport, Christian Burke and his mother decided to stay in their three-story concrete house, built by Burke’s father with hurricanes in mind.

While acknowledging the risk, Burke remains hopeful their home will withstand the storm.

Shelters across the region are filling with evacuees.

At Gibbs High School in St. Petersburg, over 1,700 people sought refuge, including Trokon Nagbe and his husband, Morris Kulp.

Though they slept on the floor, Nagbe expressed gratitude. “It’s not the Hilton, but we’re safe, and that’s what matters.”

By Wednesday night, Hurricane Milton intensified to a terrifying Category 5 storm, with winds reaching 180-200 mph.

Over a million residents in Florida, spanning Tampa, Sarasota, and Orlando, are now under evacuation orders as the monstrous storm barrels toward landfall.

Traffic on highways, including I-75, has been at a standstill, with some drivers reporting six-hour delays for an 80-mile trip northward.

The full force of Hurricane Milton is expected to strike Florida overnight, and officials continue to warn those in its path that this may be their last chance to evacuate.

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