Maps show track of Hurricane Milton as forecasters predict its arrival in Florida this week

Hurricane Milton The storm quickly intensified into a Category 1 storm on Sunday and tracked across Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Forecasters predict Milton will make landfall around the Tampa Bay area on Wednesday, bringing winds of more than 120 mph and flooding an area still reeling. Hurricane Helene.

ET Sunday, Milton was centered about 290 miles west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico, and about 815 miles west-southwest of Tampa. There were maximum sustained winds of nearly 80 mph and were gradually heading north-northeast at 6 mph.

Hurricane Milton’s path

A map from the National Hurricane Center shows Milton continuing to strengthen into a major hurricane as it approaches the west coast of Florida.

“Milton is expected to intensify rapidly over the next few days and become a major hurricane on Monday,” forecasters said.

The storm is expected to stay north of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, with heavy rain expected as Milton tracks northeast toward Florida. Tropical storm watches are currently in effect from Celestun to Cancun, Mexico.

The hurricane center said hurricane and storm surge warnings could be issued for parts of Florida later Sunday.

Florida authorities prepare for more impact

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Sunday that while it remains to be seen where Milton will strike, it’s clear that Florida will be hit hard. “I don’t think there’s a scenario where we wouldn’t have a major impact at this point,” he said.

“You have time to prepare – all day today, all day Monday, probably all day Tuesday to make sure your hurricane preparedness plan is in place,” the governor said. “If you’re on the west coast of Florida, on the barrier islands, just assume you’ll be asked to leave.”

DeSantis expanded his state of emergency declaration to 51 counties on Sunday and said Floridians should prepare for more power outages and disruptions, making sure they have a week’s worth of food and water and they are ready to hit the road.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, meanwhile, coordinated with the governor and briefed President Biden on Sunday on how it has put vital resources in place.

“I strongly encourage you to evacuate” if you find yourself in an evacuation zone, said Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. “We are preparing (…) for the largest evacuation we have experienced, most likely since 2017, Hurricane Irma.”

As many as 4,000 National Guard troops are helping state crews clear debris, DeSantis said.

“All available state assets … are being mobilized to help clear the debris,” DeSantis said. “We’re going 24/7… it’s all hands on deck.”