Florida officials are warning residents to not “gamble their lives” as Hurricane Milton approaches landfall.
On Monday (October 7), Hurricane Milton strengthened into a Category 5, boasting winds of 160 mph, per CNN. The warmth of the Gulf of Mexico has led to Milton’s rapid intensification. The hurricane strengthened by 95 mph in the last 24 hours.
Milton marks the second Category 5 storm of the season following Hurricane Beryl.
The storm is heading for Florida’s Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater region, one of states most populous metropolitan area, and is expected to make landfall on Wednesday (October 9).
Hurricane Milton comes just days after Helene barrelled into Florida’s Big Bend as a Category 4. As residents are still in recovery mode, the Florida Division of Emergency Management is preparing for its largest evacuation since 2017.
“I urge Floridians to finalize your story preparations now, enact your plan,” Guthrie said in a statement.
The sheriff of Hillsborough County, where 1.4 million residents including those from Tampa call home, urged residents to listen to evacuation orders.
“Don’t gamble your lives,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement.
“We’re still recovering. We’re still healing from Hurricane Helene,” he added. “This isn’t a time to panic, it’s just a time to get prepared.”
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