FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Milton was on track to become a major hurricane Monday toward Florida’s population centers including Tampa and Orlando, threatening a dangerous storm surge in Tampa Bay and setting the stage for possible mass evacuations less than two weeks after a catastrophic Hurricane Helene flooded the coast.

Milton became a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (205 km/h) over the southern Gulf of Mexico. Storm surge and hurricane warnings have been issued for Florida’s Gulf Coast, and a hurricane warning has been issued for parts of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

The storm was expected to strengthen into an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane with winds of at least 130 mph (210 km/h) later Monday and remain at that strength over the next few days, the National Hurricane Center said. Helene was also Category 4 when it landed in northern Florida.

The most likely scenario would be for Milton’s center to land on Wednesday of the year Tampa Bay Forecasters say the storm will remain a hurricane as it moves over central Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean. That would largely spare other states devastated by Helenewhich killed at least 230 people on the way from northern Florida the Appalachians.

Milton’s center was about 165 miles (265 kilometers) west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico, and about 745 miles (1,195 kilometers) west-southwest of Tampa early Monday and was moving at a speed of 8 miles per hour (13 km/h), according to the hurricane East to southeast center.

According to Daniel Brown, a hurricane specialist at the center, Milton is somewhat atypical because it formed so far west and is expected to cross the entire southern Gulf.

“It’s not unusual for a hurricane threat to occur along the west coast of Florida in October, but for a hurricane to develop in the southwest Gulf and then hit Florida is a little more unusual,” Brown said. Most of the storms that form in October and hit Florida come from the Caribbean, not the southwestern Gulf, he said.

Meteorologists warned of a possible storm surge of 8 to 12 feet (2.4 to 3.6 meters) in Tampa Bay and said flash flooding and river flooding from 5 to 10 inches (13 to 25 centimeters) of rain could occur in mainland Florida and the Keys could result. with some up to 15 inches (38 centimeters).

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Sunday that while it remains to be seen where Milton will strike, it is clear the state will be hit hard.

“You have time to prepare — all day today, all day Monday, probably all day Tuesday to make sure your hurricane preparedness plan is implemented,” DeSantis said. “If you are on the barrier islands on the west coast of Florida, just assume you will be asked to leave the country.”

About 7 million people had to evacuate Florida in 2017 when Hurricane Irma hit the country. The exodus clogged highways, led to long lines at gas stations and, in some cases, caused evacuees to swear never evacuate again.

Building on lessons learned from Irma and other previous storms, Florida is providing emergency fuel for gasoline vehicles and charging stations for electric vehicles along evacuation routes, Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said Sunday.

“We are preparing for the largest evacuation we have ever experienced, most likely since 2017. Hurricane IrmaGuthrie said.

The Tampa Bay area is still cleaning up extensive damage from Helene and its powerful storm. Twelve people died when Helene flooded the coast. The worst damage occurred along the narrow, 20-mile (32-kilometer) series of barrier islands stretching from St. Petersburg to Clearwater.

DeSantis expanded his emergency declaration to 51 counties on Sunday, saying Floridians should prepare for more power outages and disruptions and make sure they have a week’s worth of food and water and are ready to hit the streets.

People who live in homes built after Florida tightened regulations in 2004, who do not rely on constant power and who are not in evacuation zones should probably avoid the streets, Guthrie said.

All classes and school activities in Pinellas County, home to St. Petersburg, were closed Monday through Wednesday as a precautionary measure. Officials in Tampa have opened all city garages to residents in hopes of protecting their cars, including electric vehicles, from flooding. Vehicles must be parked in any garage on the third floor or higher.

Up to 4,000 National Guard troops are helping state crews clear debris, DeSantis said, directing Florida crews deployed to North Carolina in Helene’s aftermath to return to Milton to prepare.

When Milton achieved hurricane status, it was the first time three hurricanes had swirled in the Atlantic at the same time, said hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach of Colorado State University. Hurricanes Leslie and Kirk were far out to sea and did not pose an immediate threat to land.