Officials warn 'if you stay you will die' while millions scramble to flee Florida as unprecedented 180mph Hurricane Milton barrels in threatening to be the worst storm in 100 years

Officials person issued a stark informing to Floridians arsenic residents are ordered to evacuate earlier Hurricane Milton makes landfall connected the Gulf Coast tomorrow.

Nearly the entirety of Florida's westbound seashore is nether a hurricane informing contiguous arsenic the tempest and its 180mph winds creep towards the state, sucking vigor from the Gulf of Mexico's lukewarm water. 

The strategy is threatening the densely populated Tampa metro country - which has a colonisation of much than 3.3million radical - with a imaginable nonstop deed tomorrow.

Mayor Jane Castor to has warned residents that if they don't evacuate, 'you are going to die'. Milton is expected to bring a imaginable 8- to 12-foot tempest surge and widespread flooding to the area.

Evacuation orders began astatine 10am yesterday, with state and flights selling retired arsenic locals began to flee. Traffic was heavy connected Interstate 75 heading northbound arsenic crews were besides seen hurrying to wide debris near by devastating Hurricane Helene conscionable 12 days ago. 

Milton was downgraded to a Category 4 hurricane aboriginal this morning, but forecasters say it inactive poses 'an highly superior menace to Florida.' It intensified rapidly yesterday, becoming a Category 5 tempest astatine midday with maximum sustained winds of 180mph earlier being downgraded. 

Milton volition make landfall connected the westbound seashore of Florida precocious Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center's Live Hurricane Tracker.

It is expected to be a Category 3 tempest with winds of 111-129mph erstwhile it hits the enactment successful the Tampa Bay region, which has not endured a head-on deed by a large hurricane successful much than a century.

'This is the existent woody present with Milton,' Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told a Monday quality conference. 'If you privation to instrumentality connected Mother Nature, she wins 100 per cent of the time.' 

President Joe Biden approved an exigency declaration for Florida, and US Rep. Kathy Castor said 7,000 national workers were mobilized to assistance successful 1 of the largest mobilizations of national unit successful history.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis told reporters Monday day the hurricane was acold stronger than what was predicted 2 days ago.  

Milton could clasp hurricane spot arsenic it churns crossed cardinal Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean, forecasters warn. That way would mostly spare different states ravaged by Helene, which killed astatine slightest 230 radical connected its way from Florida to the Carolinas.

Milton was a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 180mph and was centered astir 675miles southwest of Tampa precocious Monday afternoon.

Those winds eased to 155mph by aboriginal Tuesday and the hurricane was downgraded to Category 4 status. The National Hurricane Center warned Milton inactive posed 'an highly superior threat' and that full Gulf Coast of Florida is particularly susceptible to tempest surge.

Forecasters warned of a imaginable 8-to-12-foot tempest surge successful Tampa Bay. That's the highest ever predicted for the determination and astir treble the levels reached 2 weeks agone during Helene, said National Hurricane Center spokeswoman Maria Torres.

The tempest could besides bring wide flooding to the region. Five to 10inches of rainfall was forecast for mainland Florida and the Keys, with arsenic overmuch arsenic 15inches expected successful immoderate places.

Tampa International Airport said it volition halt flights astatine 9am today. The airdrome posted connected X that it is not a structure for radical oregon their cars.

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport said it is successful a mandatory evacuation portion and volition adjacent aft the past formation leaves Tuesday.

Mexican officials are organizing buses to evacuate radical from the low-lying coastal metropolis of Progreso connected the Yucatan Peninsula aft Mexico's National Meteorological Service said Hurricane Milton 'may deed betwixt Celestun and Progreso' precocious Monday oregon aboriginal Tuesday.

Celestun, connected the occidental country of the peninsula, is simply a low-lying quality reserve location to tens of thousands of flamingos. Progreso, to the east, is simply a shipping and cruise vessel larboard with a colonisation of astir 40,000.

The model has astir closed for radical to flight Tampa Bay by level and societal media users person warned that state stations are moving retired of fuel, perchance preventing radical from escaping by car. 

Multiple radical person posted anecdotes claiming they are incapable to spend the outgo of either driving oregon flying their mode retired of the authorities up of Milton.

'I've had 2 radical successful the past HOUR archer maine they can't spend to evacuate for Hurricane Milton Never archer maine debased wages aren't convulsive ever again,' 1 idiosyncratic connected X posted.

A Sarasota nonmigratory besides claimed they deficiency the fiscal means to get retired of the storm's way.

'I live successful Sarasota, which is successful the nonstop way of Hurricane Milton. They are evacuating my town, but determination is nary state near to evacuate, and postulation is truthful atrocious that it could beryllium much unsafe to effort and evacuate astatine this point. What would you bash if you were me?'

Sharing drone footage of clogged postulation along I-75 betwixt Morris Bridge and Bruce B Downs connected Monday, 1 X idiosyncratic said: 'This is wherefore a batch of radical are staying behind, astatine a definite constituent postulation is truthful atrocious you cannot get retired of Florida, oregon there's nary gas. So you're stuck extracurricular of Gainesville.'

One woman, whose lad lives in Hernando County, said that helium is trapped. 

'Everywhere is retired of state and roads are excessively backed up for him to evaluate,' she tweeted. 'He has household successful Georgia but can't get there. This is scary. He is scared. I americium terrified for him.'

The acrophobic parent added that her son's assemblage was besides among those flooded by Hurricane Helene past week. She said: 'Now Milton is heading for them.'

The Tampa Bay country is inactive rebounding from Hurricane Helene, which came ashore immoderate 150miles distant from Tampa successful the Florida Panhandle and inactive managed to origin drowning deaths successful the Tampa country owed to surges of astir 5 to 8 feet supra mean tide levels.

Twelve radical died from Helene, with the worst harm on a drawstring of obstruction islands from St. Petersburg to Clearwater.

Evacuation orders person been issued for formation communities each on the Gulf coast. In Florida, that means anyone who stays is connected their ain and archetypal responders are not expected to hazard their lives to rescue them astatine the tallness of the storm.

Stragglers were a occupation during Helene and 2022's Ian. Many residents failed to heed ample warnings, saying they evacuated during erstwhile storms lone to person large surges not materialize. 

But determination was grounds Monday that radical were getting retired earlier Milton arrives.

A dependable watercourse of vehicles headed northbound toward the Florida Panhandle connected Interstate 75, the main road connected the westbound broadside of the peninsula, arsenic residents heeded evacuation orders. 

Traffic clogged the southbound lanes of the road for miles arsenic different residents headed for the comparative information of Fort Lauderdale and Miami connected the different broadside of the state.

About 150miles southbound of Tampa, Fort Myers Beach was astir a shade municipality by Monday day arsenic an evacuation bid took effect.

On Monday, the fewer residents who could beryllium recovered were racing against the timepiece to safeguard their buildings and belongings. None said they were staying.

Home operation supplies similar bricks, piping and adjacent workers' outhouses lined the streets, imaginable projectiles that could bash further harm if a surge hits.

At the formation Monday afternoon, workers busily emptied the triple-wide trailer that houses The Goodz, a combined hardware, convenience, sportfishing supply, crystal pick and formation goods store. 

Owner Graham Belger said helium moved his 'Your Island Everything Store' into the trailer aft Ian destroyed his imperishable gathering crossed the street.

'We'll rebuild, but it is going to beryllium bad,' helium said.

Nearby, Don Girard and his lad Dominic worked to batten down the family's three-story operation rental and abrogation location that's astir 100feet from the water. Its first-floor store and entranceway were flooded by Helene past month, Hurricane Debby successful August, and a tide brought by a caller supermoon.

Ian was by acold the worst. Its waves crashed into the 14-year-old home's 2nd floor, destroying the flooring. Girard repaired the damage, and his aqua-blue and achromatic location stands successful opposition to the older, single-story location crossed the street. 

It was submerged by Ian, ne'er repaired and remains vacant. Its once-off-white walls are present tinged with brown. Plywood covers the holes that erstwhile contained windows and doors.

Girard, who owns a banner and emblem institution successful Texas, said that portion his feelings astir owning his location are mostly positive, they are becoming mixed. 

He said each December, his extended household gathers determination for the holidays. At that clip of year, temperatures successful southwest Florida are usually successful the 70s (low 20s Celsius) with small rainfall oregon humidity. The country and its beaches capable with tourists.

'At Christmas, determination is nary amended spot successful the world,' Girard said. But flooding from Ian, the different storms and present Milton is leaving him frustrated.

'It's been difficult, I'm not going to prevarication to you,' Girard said. 'The past mates years person been beauteous bad.'