Hurricane Milton tracker: Storm intensifies into Category 5 in just hours

Hurricane Milton strengthened to a Category 5 storm on Monday as it takes aim at Florida's west coast.

Landfall is expected as a Category 3 hurricane Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.

Milton is closing in as Floridians are still recovering from the devastation unleashed by Hurricane Helene.

Latest Developments

_{Oct 7, 1:55 PM}

Counties issue mandatory evacuation orders

Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued in parts of counties along Florida's west coast, including in Charlotte, Citrus, Hillsborough, Lee and Manatee.

"If you live in a storm surge evacuation zone and you're asked to leave by your local officials, please do that," Michael Brennan, the director of NOAA's national hurricane center, told ABC News Live on Sunday. "You don't have to drive hundreds of miles to get to a safe place, often just tens of miles to get inland, out of that evacuation zone, to a shelter, a friend or loved one's home."

Brennan also urged Floridians to prepare a disaster kit with several days’ worth of nonperishable food, water, medicine and batteries.

_{Oct 7, 1:46 PM}

Milton strengthens to Category 5 hurricane

Milton rapidly intensified to a Category 5 hurricane late Monday morning. By Monday afternoon, Milton exploded with strength, reaching 175 mph winds.

Within hours, Milton strengthened to a Category 2, then a Category 3, then a Category 4 and finally a Category 5.

_{Oct 7, 1:40 PM}

Orlando, Tampa airports among those closing

The St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport, just outside of Tampa, Florida, will close at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday and stay shut on Wednesday and Thursday.

"The airport is in a mandatory evacuation zone and is not a public shelter," airport officials tweeted. "Prepare and stay safe."

Tampa International Airport will suspend operations beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday and stay closed "until it can assess any damage after the storm," airport officials said.

The Orlando International Airport will close Wednesday morning and reopen as soon as it's safe, officials said.

The Sarasota Bradenton International Airport will close at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

_{Oct 7, 12:53 PM}

FEMA administrator to travel from North Carolina to Florida

Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell, who has been on the ground in North Carolina helping organize relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Helene , will travel to Florida on Monday to meet with leaders ahead of Hurricane Milton.

Criswell will then return to North Carolina. FEMA senior leader and regional administrator Willie Nunn will stay in Florida to coordinate the response to Hurricane Milton.

Crews on the ground in Florida include "six FEMA Incident Management Assistance Teams, five FEMA Urban Search & Rescue teams, three U.S. Coast Guard Swift Water Rescue teams, four HealthCare System Assessment Teams, two U.S Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) temporary power teams, USACE debris experts, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and wastewater experts, 300 ambulances and 30 High Water Vehicles with ladders from the Department of Defense," FEMA said in a statement.

- ABC News’ Chad Murray

_{Oct 7, 11:52 AM}

Latest forecast

Milton, currently a Category 4 hurricane, is forecast to strengthen to a Category 5 within a few hours.

Milton is expected to weaken to a Category 3 hurricane by the time it approaches Florida Wednesday night. Landfall is expected late Wednesday or early Thursday.

Storm surge is a major threat.

A record-breaking storm surge of 8 to 12 feet is forecast for the Tampa Bay area. This comes as Floridians are still cleaning up from the record-setting 6 to 8 feet of storm surge that was just unleashed by Hurricane Helene.

Flooding is also expected.

Rain from a separate system is already drenching Fort Lauderdale and Miami on Monday and Tuesday, and then when Milton hits, more heavy rain is forecast from Tampa to Jacksonville. Locally, up to 15 inches of rain is possible in parts of Florida over the next three days.

A hurricane watch has been issued for Tampa, Orlando and Fort Myers.

-ABC News’ Max Golembo

_{Oct 7, 11:50 AM}

University of Florida cancels classes

The University of Florida is canceling classes on Wednesday and Thursday due to Hurricane Milton. The school plans to reopen on Friday morning, officials said.

_{Oct 7, 11:37 AM}

Biden approves Florida emergency declaration

President Joe Biden has approved an emergency declaration for Florida to allow federal assistance to begin supplementing local efforts ahead of Hurricane Milton.

-ABC News’ Justin Ryan Gomez

_{Oct 7, 11:03 AM}

Milton expected to strengthen to Category 5 hurricane

Milton -- currently a high-end Category 4 hurricane with 155 mph winds -- is forecast to strengthen in a few hours to a Category 5 hurricane with 160 mph winds.

The storm will then weaken slightly as it approaches Florida on Wednesday night.

Milton is forecast to make landfall Wednesday night into Thursday morning as a Category 3 hurricane with 125 mph winds.

_{Oct 7, 10:34 AM}

DeSantis: 'Time is going to start running out very, very soon'

Fifty-one out of Florida’s 67 counties are under a state of emergency as the state braces for Hurricane Milton, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday.

The governor urged residents to pay attention to evacuation orders.

"Time is going to start running out very, very soon," he warned.

"Please, if you’re in the Tampa Bay area, you need to evacuate," Kevin Guthrie, executive director of Florida Emergency Management, urged at a news conference.

"Drowning deaths due to storm surge are 100% preventable if you leave."

Waste removal trucks are urgently trying to get debris from Hurricane Helene off the streets of coastal communities before Milton hits.

DeSantis said debris will continue to be cleared until it’s no longer safe to do so.

Nearly 500 truckloads of debris from the barrier islands and Pinellas County have been moved to debris landfills in the last 24 hours, he said.

_{Oct 7, 9:17 AM}

Milton strengthens to Category 4

Milton rapidly intensified to a Category 4 hurricane with 150 mph winds Monday morning.

Within hours, Milton strengthened to a Category 2, then a Category 3 and then a Category 4.

Click here to read the rest of the blog.