Hurricane Milton has the “potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida,” the National Hurricane Center (NHC) says.

NHC provided that update late Monday prior to Milton’s eyewall replacement cycle, noting that the system would weaken on Tuesday but “grow larger.” While it predicts Milton will encounter shear which could weaken it more on Wednesday, it is still predicting a “large and powerful hurricane at landfall in Florida, with life-threatening hazards at the coastline and well inland.”

“Residents in Florida should closely follow the orders from their local emergency management officials, as Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida,” it added.

The 11:00 a.m. ET NHC update confirms that Milton is still expected to “retain major hurricane status and expand in size” as it approaches the west coast of Florida.

The NHC warns of storm surges of 10 feet or higher, as well as “devastating hurricane-force winds” on the west coast of Florida, although it warns these winds “especially in gusts, are expected to spread inland across the peninsula.” Counties as far northeast as St. Johns are currently under a hurricane warning.

The NHC is also warning of heavy rainfall which brings the risk of “life-threatening flash flooding.”

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) also warned that this could be a worst-case scenario, writing on social media, “Several years ago I asked @NHC_Atlantic to show me what the worst case storm hitting Florida would look like.”

“What they showed me back then is almost identical to the #Milton forecast now,” he revealed.

These warnings come as countless Floridians evacuate the Tampa Bay area, where landfall is expected. The gridlock is so bad from the evacuations in these areas, such as I-75, that the state is opening the shoulders for vehicles to use.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor did not mince words when it came to evacuations.

“I can say this without any dramatization whatsoever: If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you are going to die,” she warned.

Tropical Storm Milton Hits Hurricane Force as It Bears Down on Florida with Mass Evacuations Predicted

Storm Milton strengthened from a major tropical disturbance into a Category 3 hurricane early on Monday morning, increasing the threat to Florida’s west coast, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in a special alert.

The state is now gearing up for what could be its biggest mass evacuation in seven years as the rain-sodden behemoth heads toward major population centers including Tampa and Orlando.

“While it is too soon to specify the exact magnitude and location of the greatest impacts, there is an increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge and damaging winds for portions of the west coast of the Florida Peninsula beginning Tuesday night or early Wednesday,” the NHC said in a forecast discussion.

A resident boards up his windows in Palm Harbor, Florida, ahead of Hurricane Milton’s expected mid-week landfall on October 6, 2024. (BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images)

The NHC also warned of “5 to 8 inches” of rainfall “with localized totals up to 12 inches … expected across portions of the Florida Peninsula and the Keys through Wednesday night” in an advisory Sunday. According to the NHC, the storm is currently in the Gulf of Mexico off of Mexico’s east coast.

Milton comes 10 days after Hurricane Helene made landfall and caused mass destruction in the Southeast, most notably in western North Carolina.

RELATED: No Fundraiser Today? Kamala Arrives in Hurricane-Devastated Georgia 2 Days After Trump

Kamala Harris via Storyful

Helene was one of the largest storms the Gulf of Mexico has seen in the last century.

Damage it caused could total more than $160 billion, according to estimates, with a rising death toll still to be finalised, as Breitbart News reported.

“Storm Surge and Hurricane Watches could be issued later today or tonight,” the NHC said in their discussion Sunday. “Residents in the Florida Peninsula should follow any advice given by local officials and check back for updates to the forecast.”

In a post on the social platform X, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said Sunday he is “closely monitoring” the storm.

“We are closely monitoring Tropical Storm Milton, which has the potential to become a major hurricane,” DeSantis said in his post.

“Current estimates forecast landfall sometime Wednesday afternoon — there is still time to prepare your homes, organize your disaster plan, and implement plans to keep yourself and your family safe,” he added. “We’ve mobilized state assets to supplement local governments in an unprecedented debris removal mission for areas that suffered damage from Hurricane Helene and are currently in the projected path of Milton.”

The hurricane center is warning people in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, the Florida Peninsula, the Florida Keys, as well as the Bahamas to closely monitor this system from late Monday onwards for potential impacts.

With Milton achieving hurricane status, this is the first time the Atlantic has had three simultaneous hurricanes after September, according to Colorado State University hurricane scientist Phil Klotzbach, AP reports.

There have been four simultaneous hurricanes in August and September.