Hurricane Milton is barreling across the Gulf of Mexico and is forecast to make landfall late Wednesday on the west coast of Florida near Tampa, threatening life and property with towering storm surges, devastating winds and catastrophic flooding, according to NBC.
Milton is now a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of about 155 mph. The storm was centered about 250 miles southwest of Tampa and moving northeast at 16 mph but is "expected to remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane when it reaches the west-central coast of Florida tonight," the NHC said in its 8 a.m. ET advisory.
Millions were ordered or urged to evacuate and thousands of fleeing cars clogged Florida's highways ahead of the storm, but time for evacuations was running out Wednesday. Officials warned that stragglers would face grim odds of surviving.
Forecasters warn the immense and powerful storm could generate “life-threatening” storm surge of up to 15 feet in Tampa, a region that's particularly flood-prone. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor noted that would be deep enough to swallow an entire house.
“So if you’re in it, basically that’s the coffin that you’re in,” Castor said.
Officials have warned that anyone staying behind must fend for themselves, as first responders are not expected to risk their lives attempting rescues at the height of the storm.
