URGENT: Hurricane Milton evolves into a Category 5 on track to Florida Gulf Coast

CNN reported: "Hurricane Milton rapidly intensified at a mind-boggling rate into a Category 5 over the record-warm Gulf of Mexico. It is expected to grow in size, which means that although it may decrease in category, its dangerous impacts will be spread over a much larger area.

Milton is forecast to make landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast on Wednesday. Its dangerous eye and eyewall could come ashore anywhere from Cedar Key at the north to Naples at the south – including possibly in the Tampa or Ft. Myers areas.

It’s only been 10 days since Helene scoured Florida’s Gulf Coast with storm surge and slammed into the Big Bend as a Category 4. Now, officials are asking residents – still in recovery mode – to evacuate or prepare for another life-threatening storm.

“If the storm stays on the current track, it will be the worst storm to impact the Tampa area in over 100 years,” the National Weather Service in Tampa warned Monday.

The only major hurricane to ever come within 50 miles of Tampa was an unnamed storm in 1921 that moved just north of the city as the equivalent of a Category 3 hurricane, according to data from NOAA.

Milton’s current track takes its center over St. Petersburg and directly through a portion of Tampa Wednesday evening. It’s still too early to say with certainty this will be exactly where Milton comes ashore. The storm could wobble north or south over the next two days.

Where Milton makes landfall will make a massive difference in terms of impact.

A direct strike on the Tampa Bay area could trigger worst-case scenario threats for the region. Historic storm surge could plunge the entirety of some low-lying areas underwater as hurricane-force winds and torrential slam the region.

If Milton makes landfall north of the region, the Tampa Bay area will still get considerable storm surge and strong winds, but may miss out on the heaviest rainfall the hurricane has to offer.

Storm surge levels would remain dangerously high with a track south of the region, but it could lower them slightly. It would also unleash higher, double-digit rainfall totals."