Hurricane and Storm Surge Warnings are in effect for Florida’s west coast as Hurricane Milton approaches. The National Hurricane Center warns that Milton poses an “extremely serious threat” with life-threatening impacts.

 Forecasters warn that Hurricane Milton could become one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida, including the Tampa area. Millions of residents are preparing for life-threatening impacts and evacuating coastal and low-lying areas ahead of the storm’s arrival on Wednesday night. Hurricane and Storm Surge Warnings have now expanded to the state’s east coast.

On Monday, Hurricane Milton rapidly intensified from a Category 1 to a near-record-breaking Category 5 hurricane, with winds reaching 180 mph and a minimum central pressure of 897 millibars. It has since weakened to a Category 4 as it skirts Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula but remains an “extremely dangerous hurricane” expected to impact Florida’s west coast.

“This is a very serious situation,” the NHC warned on Tuesday. “Residents in Florida should closely follow orders from their local emergency management officials. Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida.”

The NHC noted that Milton’s central pressure fell to the second-lowest on record in the Gulf of Mexico and the lowest in the Atlantic Basin since 2005.