Milton rapidly strengthened in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday, becoming a Category 5 hurricane heading toward Florida. It threatened a dangerous storm surge in Tampa Bay, prompting evacuation orders and adding even more urgency to the cleanup effort after Hurricane Helene, which flooded the bay’s coastal section less than two weeks ago.

A hurricane warning was issued for parts of the Mexican state of Yucatan, and much of Florida’s west coast was under a hurricane and storm surge watch. Lake Okeechobee in Florida, which often floods during severe storms, was also under a hurricane watch.

“This is the real deal here with Milton,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said at a news conference. “If you want to take on Mother Nature, she wins 100 percent.”

Milton rapidly strengthened Monday and was expected to strengthen into a major hurricane over the eastern Gulf. According to the National Hurricane Center, the maximum sustained wind speed was 257 km/h. The center of the storm was about 130 miles (210 kilometers) west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico, and about 700 miles (1,160 kilometers) southwest of Tampa as of midday Monday, moving east-southeast at a speed of 9 mph (15 kph).

Its center could make landfall in the Tampa Bay area on Wednesday and it could remain a hurricane as it moves over central Florida toward the Atlantic. This would largely spare other states devastated by Helene, which killed at least 230 people on its path from Florida to the Appalachian Mountains.

Forecasters 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 on mainland Florida and the Keys could result from 5 to 10 inches (13 to 25 centimeters) of rain, with as much as 15 inches (38 centimeters) in places.

The Tampa Bay area is still cleaning up extensive damage from Helene and its powerful storm. Twelve people died, with the worst damage occurring along a 20-mile (32 kilometer) stretch of barrier islands from St. Petersburg to Clearwater.

VIEW | Milton races toward Florida:

No time for bureaucracy: DeSantis

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday it was imperative that Helene’s remains be disposed of before Milton’s arrival so they don’t become dangerous flying projectiles. More than 300 vehicles picked up debris on Sunday but encountered a locked landfill gate while trying to dump it. State troopers used a rope tied to a pickup truck and blew it open, DeSantis said.

“We don’t have time for bureaucracy and bureaucracy,” DeSantis said. “We have to do the work.”

About seven million people were ordered to evacuate Florida in 2017 due to Hurricane Irma. The exodus clogged highways, led to long lines at gas stations and led some evacuees to vow never to 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 seen, most likely since 2017, Hurricane Irma,” Guthrie said.

The center of Milton was about 150 miles (240 kilometers) west of Progreso, Mexico, and about 700 miles (1,185 kilometers) southwest of Tampa on Monday morning and was moving east-southeast at a speed of 8 mph (13 km/h), according to the hurricane center.

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.

Evacuations, closures, cancellations

On beaches in the St. Pete Beach area, where storm surge from Helene flooded homes and businesses, lifeguards on Monday removed beach chairs and other items that could become projectiles in hurricane-force winds. Schools including the University of Central Florida in Orlando announced they would close midweek, and Walt Disney World said it was monitoring the hurricane but operating normally for now.

Sarah Steslicki, who lives in Belleair Beach, said she was frustrated that more of Helene’s debris had not been collected sooner.

“They screwed up and didn’t pick up the debris, and now they’re fighting to get it picked up,” Steslicki said Monday morning. “If this one hits, it will be flying missiles. Things will float and fly in the air.”

All road tolls have been suspended in West Central Florida. St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport announced it would close after the last flight on Tuesday. Hillsborough County, home to Tampa, ordered the evacuation of all mobile and manufactured homes by Tuesday evening.

“Yeah, that stinks. We know this, and it comes after many of us are still recovering from Hurricane Helene,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “But if you protect your families, you will be alive.”

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.

Although Tanya Marunchak’s Belleair Beach Helene home was flooded with more than 4 feet (1.2 meters) of water, she and her husband were unsure Monday morning whether to evacuate. She wanted to leave, but her husband thought their three-story house was strong enough to withstand Milton.

“We lost all our cars, all our furniture; the first floor was completely destroyed,” Marunchak said. “This is the strangest weather situation ever.”

If residents don’t evacuate, it could endanger first responders or make rescues impossible: “If you stay there, you could die and my men and women could die trying to save you,” Hillsborough Fire Chief Jason Dougherty said.

A bit out of character for Milton

The Mexican coastal state of Yucatan announced it would cancel classes in most cities along the coast after forecasters predicted Milton would reach the northern part of the state. The cancellations included the Gulf Coast’s most populous cities, such as Progreso; the capital Merida; and the Celestun Nature Reserve, known for its flamingos.

It has been two decades since Florida was hit by so many storms in such a short period of time. In 2004, Florida was hit by five storms in six weeks, including three hurricanes that devastated central Florida.

Although Tampa hasn’t been directly hit by a hurricane in over a century, other parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast have been recovering from such storms in the past two years. The Fort Myers area of ​​southwest Florida is still rebuilding from Hurricane Ian, which caused $112 billion in damage in 2022. Three hurricanes have struck Florida’s Big Bend region in just 13 months, including Helene.

VIEW | The Helene clean-up work continues:

Florida is bracing for another storm as Hurricane Helene weakens

As cleanup efforts continue after Hurricane Helene, Florida is bracing for another storm expected to make landfall later this week.

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.