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 Milton Regains Category 5 Strength as It Plows Toward Tampa

The storm's winds, after briefly weakening, surged back to 160 miles per hour. Meanwhile, gas stations across Florida ran low as residents fleeing the storm crowded the highways.

Published Oct. 8, 2024Updated Oct. 9, 2024, 12:43 a.m. ET

Officials warn residents to ‘get out now.’ Here’s the latest.

Storm-weary residents along Florida's Gulf Coast crowded roads and endured long gas lines Tuesday evening, fleeing to safer ground ahead of Hurricane Milton. The Category 5 storm, packing 160-mile-per-hour winds, has triggered one of the largest evacuations in the state’s history.

Tampa Bay, facing the potential of its first direct hit from a major storm in over a century, braced for impact as Milton charged toward the region. "If you're going to get out," Governor Ron DeSantis urged at a news conference, "get out now."

Here’s what we’re covering:

• Where it's going: Milton, the strongest storm to hit the Gulf of Mexico since 2005, is expected to make landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday. On Tuesday night, the National Hurricane Center warned that the storm could fluctuate in intensity as it moves across the eastern Gulf. "We still can't pinpoint an exact landfall location," forecasters noted earlier. Track the storm's latest path here.

• Evacuation orders: As of Tuesday, mandatory or voluntary evacuation orders affected more than 5.5 million people, according to FEMA. Many others were urged to evacuate throughout the day. Here is a full list of evacuation orders.

• Dangerous debris: The aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which struck Florida less than two weeks ago, has complicated preparations for Milton. Officials are working urgently to clear debris that could become dangerous projectiles in Milton's powerful winds.

• Emergency aid: Governor DeSantis said he has spoken with President Biden, and "everything we’ve asked for has been approved." About 8,000 National Guard members will be activated, which DeSantis called the largest mobilization in the state’s history ahead of a storm. Here’s how you can prepare for a hurricane and evacuations.

Weather data editor

    Milton's projected path remained largely unchanged in the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center, with the storm expected to pass through Sarasota, Florida, on Wednesday evening. However, forecasters cautioned that, with about 24 hours until landfall, pinpointing the exact location of impact remains uncertain.

    As of Tuesday evening, 28 Florida counties were under a hurricane warning, indicating that hurricane conditions are expected within 36 hours, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management. "Finalize your disaster plans, charge your devices, and follow all orders from local officials!" the agency urged in a social media post.

5-day chance of tropical-storm-forcedamaginghurricane-force winds

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Source: National Hurricane Center  All times on the map are Eastern.  The map shows probabilities of at least 5 percent. The forecast is for up to five days, with that time span starting up to three hours before the reported time that the storm reaches its latest location. Wind speed probability data is not available north of 60.25 degrees north latitude.