Hurricane Milton, the most dangerous storm to hit Tampa in a century, is expected to make landfall early Thursday morning, with authorities warning of life-threatening winds and storm surges.
As six million people remain under hurricane warnings, officials are urging residents in danger zones to evacuate immediately, the Daily Mail reported.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued dire warnings, calling the storm "extremely life-threatening" and urging millions of residents to evacuate. The Category 5 hurricane had sustained winds of 180 mph on Wednesday night, threatening storm surges as high as 15 feet in some places.
The NWS warned Monday that if the storm continues on its projected path, Tampa will experience unprecedented destruction.
"If the storm stays on the current track, it will be the worst storm to impact the Tampa area in over 100 years. Please evacuate if told to do so," the agency said in a social media post.
The post's graphic highlighted Tampa and St. Petersburg as areas facing a severe Level 4 impact, including coastal flooding, widespread marina damage, and small watercraft being lifted onshore.
Other regions of Florida are also on high alert, with parts of the state facing a Level 3 flooding threat. Residents have been warned that rivers and tributaries may overflow, potentially leading to widespread rescues.
Meteorologists are sounding the alarm about Milton's intensity. Noah Bergren, a meteorologist with Fox 35 Orlando, described the storm as "nothing short of astronomical."
Bergren reported on X that wind gusts reached 200 mph with pressure at 897 mb.
"This is now the fourth strongest hurricane ever recorded by pressure on this side of the world," he said, emphasizing that the storm is nearing the atmospheric limits of what the ocean can produce.
President Joe Biden spoke with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to discuss federal assistance ahead of Milton's arrival and recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene, which hit two weeks ago.
Tensions between the White House and Florida's leadership surfaced earlier when Vice President Kamala Harris accused DeSantis of political gamesmanship regarding Helene's recovery response. Despite this, Biden assured the governor that federal resources remain available.
In addition to his conversation with DeSantis, Biden spoke with Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and received a detailed briefing from NWS Director Ken Graham on the potential damage Milton may inflict. The city of Tampa is preparing for storm surges that could reach several miles inland, threatening homes, businesses, and infrastructure.
"The storm's intensity is unlike anything we've seen in this area," said Castor. "If you've been asked to evacuate, please do so now. This storm will be catastrophic."