Strong Hurricane Milton is approaching the storm-plagued Gulf Coast

Tampa Bay residents woke up Wednesday to the middle of a nightmare scenario as Hurricane Milton moves ever closer to the Gulf Coast.

As the potential landfall area shrinks tonight or early Thursday, storm-weary residents are preparing for the worst. The span can reach up to 15 feet. The power could be out for weeks. Milton's worst effects could be decided by a slight shift in his track.

A hurricane warning and a storm surge warning are in effect for the Tampa Bay region. Pinellas and Pasco counties have ordered mandatory evacuations for Zones A, B and C, as well as all mobile and manufactured homes. Hillsborough has ordered the evacuation of residents in Zones A and B as well as all mobile and manufactured homes.

Tropical storm-force winds could reach the area as early as this afternoon. Time to evacuate is running out. Here is a list of emergency shelters in the Tampa Bay area.

View Milton's forecast track and wind speeds here.

And here's how to hide when you're not in a mandatory evacuation zone.

Follow the latest developments.

6:35 a.m.: Shelter available, “now is the time” to get to safety, Hillsborough Sheriff says

With Hurricane Milton threatening to hit the Gulf Coast at Force 4 this evening or early Thursday, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister delivered a simple message at 6:35 a.m.: “If you need to get to a safe place for any reason, it is.” “Now is the time.”,” the sheriff said in a video posted on X.

Nearby housing remained available throughout the Tampa Bay area.

Late Tuesday, Pinellas County opened a 10th animal shelter at Campbell Park Elementary, 1051 7th Ave. S in St. Petersburg. You can find all open shelters here.

Nine shelters were open in Hillsborough County. Here's an interactive map to see which one is closest to you.

There were nearly twice as many evacuees in Pasco County shelters early Wednesday as there were Tuesday morning. But they still had thousands of spots available. For more information, see the county's evacuation zone finder.

Public transit has said it will offer rides to shelters until the storm prevents safe passage.

Pasco also announced that anyone searching for sandbags in public places should do so before noon. More details here.

– Jeffrey S. Solochek

6:15 a.m. Bridge closures expected this afternoon

Residents planning to evacuate or making last-minute preparations should keep in mind that the region's major bridges are expected to close later in the day if conditions become dangerous.

The Howard Frankland and Gandy bridges and the Courtney Campbell Causeway will be closed as waves from Tampa Bay begin hitting the roadway, becoming dangerous for motorists. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge will close once wind speeds reach 45 miles per hour.

Those conditions are expected this afternoon before Milton makes landfall, authorities said.

5 a.m. Milton, a “catastrophic” Category 5 storm

According to the National Hurricane Center's 5 a.m. bulletin, Milton was a “catastrophic” Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of 160 miles per hour.

The storm was located about 300 miles southwest of Tampa and was expected to make landfall this evening or early Thursday as a “dangerous” major hurricane, hitting parts of the Gulf Coast with “devastating” hurricane-force winds.

The Tampa Bay area remains in a cone of uncertainty. The maximum storm surge forecast for the region remains up to 15 feet.

“If you are in the storm surge warning area, this is an extremely life-threatening situation and you should evacuate as quickly as possible as directed by local authorities,” meteorologists wrote.

Although the advisory shows the storm making landfall near Sarasota is a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of about 130 miles per hour, forecasters cautioned against focusing on the exact landfall point as the average error 24 hours later is about 40 miles. And the storm's significant impact extends far beyond the center.

Milton is expected to remain a hurricane as it moves across the peninsula, causing “life-threatening” impacts on the interior, particularly in squalls.

Heavy rainfall through Thursday poses a risk of “catastrophic and life-threatening” flash flooding with moderate to major river flooding as the storm moves east.

“There is an area of heavy rain beginning to spread across portions of southwest and west-central Florida ahead of Milton, and weather conditions will steadily deteriorate throughout portions of Florida's Gulf Coast throughout the day,” the warning said.