The Latest: Hurricane Milton strengthens into a Category 5 as Florida prepares for evacuations

Milton rapidly strengthened in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday, becoming a Category 5 storm on a path toward Florida.

The major hurricane threatens to bring dangerous storm surge to Tampa Bay and is setting the stage for potential mass evacuations less than two weeks after a catastrophic Hurricane Helene swamped the coastline and killed more than 230 people.

People evacuate flood-prone area of the Yucatan Peninsula that Milton will brush by

Dozens of residents and tourists lined up with suitcases and other belongings to catch an evacuation ferry off Holbox island, on the eastern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Holbox, popular for its shallow seascapes, may be one of the closest points that Hurricane Milton brushes before moving toward Florida. The low-lying island tends to flood even with a light rain.

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Off-and-on resident Marilú Macías was calm and smiling, but was afraid of what Milton could do to the island.

“We are afraid something might happen to us. We’re going someplace safer,” Macías said of herself and her daughters. “We decided it was best to leave the island.”

Biden speaks with DeSantis to discuss Milton preparations and Helene recovery

President Joe Biden has spoken with Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to discuss preparations in Florida for the approaching Hurricane Milton and ongoing recovery efforts from the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene.

The White House confirmed the president’s call with the governor after Vice President Kamala Harris earlier on Monday accused DeSantis of “playing political games” and engaging in “political gamesmanship” over the federal response to Helene. Harris had reached out to the governor last week but said the two never spoke.

DeSantis said he “didn’t know that she had called."

Biden also spoke on Monday with Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and received a detailed briefing from National Weather Service Director Ken Graham on Milton's expected impact.

Family must flee their home near Tampa Bay for a second time

Packed into a car with her three young kids, somewhere on State Road 429 and still hours away from the hotel they booked north of Jacksonville, Candice Briggs was trying to stay strong — she knows her children are watching.

Not even two weeks ago, Hurricane Helene sent a foot and a half of water into her family’s home in the Tampa Bay community of Seminole, just across the bridge from Pinellas County’s barrier islands. The family had just settled into their temporary lodgings at the home of an extended family member.

Briggs hadn’t even finished their post-Helene loads of laundry. And now, she, her husband, their kids and their 14-year-old Maltese poodle mix are all evacuating again.

“Most of the tears I’ve cried have been out of exhaustion or gratitude. Just that we’re safe and that we followed our instincts to evacuate,” Briggs said. “Mostly I am grateful. But I am overwhelmed and I am exhausted. And it feels powerless.”

A self-described rule-follower and the mom of a 7-year-old, 5-year-old and 3-year old, Briggs has no qualms about heeding evacuation orders.

Still, Briggs’ mind is on her storm-damaged house, where workers have already torn out feet of sodden drywall, leaving behind exposed beams she fears will be even more vulnerable to the towering wall of water that forecasters say Milton could lash against this flood-prone stretch of the Gulf Coast.

“It is very daunting," she said.

Even amid the chaos and disruption, she’s trying to preserve a sense of normalcy for her kids, playing pop music and counting cows and horses to keep their spirits up, like it’s any old road trip.

“I don’t know how long we’ll be out of our home,” she said as they once again headed north, fleeing another storm. “And that’s tough because young children don’t understand."

“They want a countdown,” she said, “and I can’t give you that.”

Atlanta speedway allows evacuees to use its camping areas and showers

The Atlanta Motor Speedway is opening its camping areas and showers for people evacuating from Hurricane Milton, Georgia emergency officials said.

The speedway, south of Atlanta off Interstate 75, hosted more than 100 evacuees in 2017, as Hurricane Irma threatened Florida.

First alerts sent to Florida residents notifying them of hurricane and storm surge warnings

The first alerts notifying residents of Pinellas, Manatee, Pasco, Charlotte, Citrus and Hillsborough counties in Florida of a hurricane warning and storm surge warning went out via email, text message and phone call beginning at about 5:10 p.m. EDT, according to messages received by The Associated Press.

The hurricane warning said the impacts of Milton could be “devastating to catastrophic.”

The alerts warned that sturdy buildings could suffer complete roof and wall failures, and that damage could make some areas "uninhabitable for weeks or months.”

St. Petersburg officials warn storm surge from Milton could be greater than Helene’s

In St. Petersburg, officials warned residents still cleaning up after Helene’s storm surge that flooding could be twice as great during Milton.

“Our community now faces an ever more daunting challenge,” said Mayor Ken Welch. “This is a powerful storm. More powerful than Helene with more potential storm surge.”

If the city takes a direct hit, the rebuilding of electric and water services could take a long time, he said.

“But the most important thing at this point is to save lives,” Welch said. “Please heed all evacuation orders. This is an incredibly powerful storm.”

Airports near Tampa to ground flights Tuesday

Tampa International Airport said it will stop flights at 9 a.m. Tuesday, before Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall. The airport posted on X that it is not a shelter for people or their cars.

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport said it is in a mandatory evacuation zone and will close after the last flight leaves on Tuesday.

The imminent shutdowns made the few flights out of the storm’s path expensive. By late Monday afternoon, American Airlines’ website showed only a few seats left on Monday night departures from Tampa. Most flights to Atlanta were priced at more than $1,000 for a one-way ticket. Delta Air Lines showed nothing available.

Storm surge and hurricane warnings issued for most of Florida’s west coast

The U.S. National Hurricane Center has issued storm surge warnings for almost the entirety of Florida's west coast, from Flamingo at the state's southern tip to the Suwanee River, which flows into the Gulf of Mexico about halfway between Tallahassee and Tampa.

The majority of that area was also under a hurricane warning. The hurricane center also issued storm surge watches on the U.S. East Coast including much of Florida up to parts of South Carolina.

Hurricane Milton's sustained wind speeds increased to 180 mph (290 kph) Monday afternoon, the hurricane center said. The Category 5 storm, located 80 miles (125 kilometers) off the coast of Progreso, Mexico, was moving east at 10 mph (17 kph).

“Milton poses an extremely serious threat to Florida and residents are urged to follow the orders of local officials,” the hurricane center said in their latest storm advisory.

Florida governor warns Milton is stronger than previously forecast

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pointed out while briefing reporters Monday afternoon that the hurricane is already far stronger than what was predicted two days ago.

“This is a ferocious hurricane,” DeSantis said.

DeSantis cautioned that while the storm is expected to weaken by the time it reaches Florida, residents shouldn't bank on it, and said Milton will cause destruction regardless.

“At the strength it is now, this is a really, really strong storm. The effects of that, not just from the storm surge but from wind damage and debris, will be really, really significant,” DeSantis said. “This is not a storm you want to take a risk on.”

Those who plan to stay in Tampa prepare for Milton’s expected arrival

The streets were quiet Monday afternoon in Tampa’s Channel District, home to sleek high rises, coffee shops and the state’s largest seaport — Port Tampa Bay. A Margaritaville-themed cruise ship set sail one day early from the port, revelers leaving behind this vulnerable stretch of Florida’s Gulf Coast to the sounds of Soca music.

Residents walked their dogs while Amazon delivery workers dropped off their packages ahead of Hurricane Milton’s expected arrival midweek.

Spence Clark and his 9-year-old chihuahua terrier mix Tiny got some fresh air before the rain was forecast to move in. His fiancé is an EMT and has to stay in town to respond to the storm, so Clark and Tiny plan to hunker down there in their fourth-floor apartment. He said residents seem to be taking this storm more seriously after the damage dealt by Hurricane Helene not even two weeks ago.

“I feel like a lot more people are evacuating as well. Like, I know a lot of my friends have left or they are planning to,” Clark said. “It’s more sensitive now that we have gone through something traumatic.”

The couple has stocked up on snacks and water and parked their cars in an elevated garage ahead of the storm. Clark said he’s not too worried; he joked that it may be harder to keep Tiny fed than he and his fiancé. The dog eats a special kind of food that’s supposed to stay frozen, not shelf-stable kibble.

“I feel like the most thing we’re worried about is his dog food,” Clark said with a laugh. “Gotta prepare for him more than us.”

An update on South Carolina’s response to Helene

South Carolina officials estimate $250 million has been spent so far on debris clean up, infrastructure damage and emergency response during Hurricane Helene.

The state has had more than 300 homes destroyed and 5,200 damaged, state Emergency Management Division Director Kim Stenson said Monday.

When asked how much South Carolina might ask Congress for in storm aid, Gov, Henry McMaster said he didn’t know.

“We’re still assessing that. But it’s going to be a big number,” McMaster said.

Power crews continue to make significant progress on outages. Only about 45,000 businesses and home didn’t have electricity Monday afternoon. There were about 1.4 million outages at the peak of the storm.

South Carolina’s largest school district will reopen on Wednesday after seven days out of school because of Hurricane Helene.

When will Milton make landfall?

According to the National Hurricane Center’s Live Hurricane Tracker, Milton will make landfall on the west coast of Florida on Wednesday evening. It’s expected to be a Category 3 storm when it hits the shore and will barrel across the state through major cities like Tampa and Orlando overnight into Thursday.