Hurricane Milton Set to Double in Size as 'Storm of the Century' Threatens Florida | Hurricane Milton

Category 5 Hurricane Milton is expected to double its wind field when it makes landfall in the U.S. late Wednesday or early Thursday, with a storm surge of up to 15 feet (4.5 meters) along a low-lying section of the Florida coast includes the cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota.

Milton is described as the “storm of a century,” with sustained winds still 160 miles (257 km/h). Milton turned northeast overnight about 300 miles (480 km) southwest of Tampa, targeting densely populated and extremely vulnerable communities. It is expected to weaken slightly as it makes landfall, reaching Category 4 wind speeds with sustained winds of around 130 mph.

“Milton has the potential to be one of the most devastating hurricanes ever for West Central Florida,” the National Hurricane Center warned.

In an 8 a.m. update, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said it wasn't clear exactly where the eye of the storm would make landfall, but the impacts would be “more widespread … absolutely any location on Florida's west coast could become severe.” Storm Surge.”

“If you're in a one-story home that's hit by a 15-foot storm surge, meaning water comes in immediately, you have nowhere to go,” said Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.

“So when you're in it, that's basically the coffin you're in.”

Authorities have issued mandatory evacuation orders in 11 Florida counties with a combined population of about 5.9 million people, saying anyone who decides to stay behind must fend for themselves.

Before Helene struck, the residents left behind were asked to write their names and social security numbers on their bodies to facilitate easier identification during autopsy.

Current forecasts show the flood is expected to hit Fort Myers Beach, an area still recovering from Hurricane Ian two years ago, which destroyed a causeway to the barrier islands.

The area was also hit by Hurricane Helene two weeks ago, raising concerns that discarded furniture, appliances and debris from that storm will become projectiles in the next storm. DeSantis said the state deployed more than 300 dump trucks that removed 1,300 loads of debris.

One resident said he saw bull sharks swimming in the flooded streets after Helene.

Regardless of where Milton makes landfall, significant damage is expected as seawater flows inland through coastal channels. Cody Fritz of the US National Hurricane Center's storm surge team told NBC News: “Florida's West Coast is very sensitive to storm surge. It doesn't take much to push water over dry land. It’s extremely vulnerable.”

Kara Doran, a U.S. geological survey scientist, said the risk of permanent change to the coastline “cannot be overstated, as I believe communities are more vulnerable to the effects of this storm due to recent erosion from Helene.” .

Residents trying to flee face gasoline shortages and clogged roads. There are few hotels to stay in and there are no flights from the area. Ashley Khrais, a resident of Holiday, Florida, just inland from the coast, told NBC: “It seems very, very scary, but there is no way to walk away.”

Mark Prompakdee, 71, a resident of a trailer park near St. Petersburg, said he planned to ride out the storm in a minivan parked on high ground at a high school. “They say, 'Get out of here,'” he said. “Where?”

But many people seemed to have heeded the warnings. “If there's any good news here, we toured Fort Myers Beach yesterday (and) it looks like people listened to those warnings,” NBC News' Jay Gray said.

Efforts to protect property with sandbags and boarding up windows were made “with the understanding that this could be the most intense storm many in this area have ever seen, and they have seen enough,” Gray said.

The National Weather Service warned that as Milton began making landfall on Wednesday, “conditions will be favorable for the development of a tornado, even well away from expected landfall.”

With area airports now closed, operators said they would not reopen until the damage was assessed. A spokesman for Tampa International Airport told Scripps News that security is critical to their operations and that the airport cannot serve as a refuge for travelers stranded there because it is in an evacuation zone.