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Hurricane Milton strengthened into a Category 5 storm on Monday (October 7) and Florida residents are urged to begin the state's largest evacuation in nearly a decade, NBC News reports.
Milton is reported to have reached sustained winds of 160 MPH as it made its way across the Gulf of Mexico along its continued path toward Florida's western coast, which is already dealing with recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene's devastation. The storm had previously intensified into a "life-threatening" Category 4 hurricane on Monday.
Pinellas, Manatee and Sarasota are all expected to announce evacuation orders on Monday and Kevin Guthrie, the director of Florida's emergency management division, said the state was preparing for its largest evacuation since 6 million Floridians were forced to flee ahead of Hurricane Irma in 2017. Rainfall is expected to be between 5-10 inches in some areas of the state, while others can see up to 15 inches. A deadly storm surge of 8-12 feet is also possible for more than 200 miles of coastline, with Tampa potentially being the median.
"The track guidance is in good agreement that the hurricane will cross the Florida Peninsula, but there remains significant differences in both the location and timing of landfall," National Hurricane Center specialist Jack Beven wrote via USA TODAY.