What to Know
- Hurricane Milton weakened slightly but later rebounded in intensity Tuesday as it continued on a path toward Florida's Gulf coast as an extremely dangerous Category 5 storm, forecasters said
- The hurricane’s precise track remained uncertain, as forecasters Tuesday evening nudged its projected path slightly south of Tampa
- Tampa Bay is under both a hurricane warning and a storm surge warning, as the National Hurricane Center forecasts that it could be inundated with between 10 and 15 feet of storm surge
- South Florida can expect the bull's eye of tropical storm conditions from late Wednesday afternoon through early Thursday afternoon from Milton.
- The Florida Keys, Miami-Dade and Broward counties were under a tropical storm warning. Flood watches remain in effect in South Florida. See all severe weather alerts here
Hurricane Milton, currently a Category 5 storm, churned Wednesday toward a potentially catastrophic collision along the west coast of Florida, where some residents insisted they would stay after millions were ordered to evacuate and officials warned that stragglers would face grim odds of surviving.
The Tampa Bay area, home to more than 3.3 million people, faced the possibility of widespread destruction after avoiding direct hits from major hurricanes for more than a century. The National Hurricane Center predicted Milton would likely weaken but remain a major hurricane when it makes landfall late Wednesday.
