Milton still Category 5 as it barrels toward Florida and landfall tonight

Category 5 Hurricane Milton 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 or early Thursday.

“Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida,” the center warned.

Milton was centered about 250 miles southwest of Tampa Wednesday with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph, the hurricane center reported. It was moving northeast at 14 mph early Wednesday and was expected to continue moving in that direction with an increase in its forward speed through Wednesday night, with landfall expected late Wednesday or early Thursday morning. It was expected to turn toward the east-northeast and east on Thursday and Friday.

Heavy rain was beginning to spread across parts of southwestern and west-central Florida ahead of Milton early Wednesday, and weather conditions were expected to deteriorate across parts of the Florida Gulf Coast throughout the day, the center said. Six to 12 inches of rain, with localized totals up to 18 inches, were expected across central to northern portions of Florida through Thursday, bringing the risk of catastrophic and life-threatening flash and urban flooding, and moderate to major river flooding. Several tornadoes were likely Wednesday across parts of central and southern Florida.

Forecasters predicted the storm will retain hurricane strength as it crosses central Florida on Thursday on a path east toward the Atlantic Ocean. The hurricane’s precise track remained uncertain, as forecasters Tuesday evening nudged its projected path slightly south of Tampa.

Thousands of fleeing cars clogged Florida’s highways ahead of the storm, but time for evacuations was running out Wednesday. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor noted that up to 15 feet of storm surge forecast for her city would be deep enough to swallow an entire house.

Milton targets communities still reeling two weeks after Hurricane Helene flooded streets and homes in western Florida along its devastating march that left at least 230 dead across the South.



Hundreds of linemen trucks are staged at The Villages in Florida in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Milton. (Photo Steven M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel via AP)