In a minute: What you need to know about Hurricane Milton as it approaches Florida

Tight on time? This story is for you. It's an abbreviated, text view at what's happening with Hurricane Milton, which is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane before making landfall along Florida's West Coast, possibly either Wednesday or Thursday, Oct. 9-10. Click here for more details .

Is there a hurricane coming to Florida?

Yes. Hurricane Milton currently is in the Gulf of Mexico and is moving toward Florida's West Coast.

Where is Hurricane Milton expected to make landfall?

There are "significant differences" among the models on where Milton will make landfall on Florida's West Coast, with some showing the hurricane farther north and others favoring a more southerly track.

The National Hurricane Center warned the projected path has an error rate at day 3 of 100 miles "so do not focus on the exact track."

AccuWeather is predicting landfall as a Category 3 storm around Longboat Key, north of Sarasota, said AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva in a telephone interview early Monday afternoon.

Don't relax if you live on Florida's East Coast. Milton is expected to still be a hurricane after crossing the state and moving into the Atlantic.

➤ Spaghetti models for Hurricane Milton

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When is Hurricane Milton expected to make landfall?

The National Hurricane Center is predicting Hurricane Milton will make landfall between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning.

DaSilva said Monday afternoon, AccuWeather was predicting landfall around 8 p.m. Wednesday.

➤ Live updates on Hurricane Milton

How strong is Hurricane Milton?

At 8 p.m., Milton had sustained winds of 180 mph, making it a strong Category 5 storm.

A Category 5 hurricane has winds of 157 mph.

Watches, warnings issued for Florida

As of 8 p.m. watches and warnings issued include:

Hurricane warning:

• Florida west coast from Bonita Beach northward to the mouth of the Suwannee River, including Tampa Bay

Hurricane watch:

• Dry Tortugas
• Lake Okeechobee
• Florida west coast from Chokoloskee to south of Bonita Beach
• Florida east coast from the St. Lucie/Indian River County Line northward to the mouth of the St. Marys River

Storm surge warning:

• West coast of Florida from Flamingo northward to the Suwannee River, including Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay

Storm surge watch:

• Sebastian Inlet to Edisto Beach, including St. Johns River

Tropical storm warning:

• All of the Florida Keys, including Dry Tortugas
• Lake Okeechobee
• Florida west coast from Flamingo to south of Bonita Beach
• Florida west coast from north of the mouth of the Suwanee River to Indian Pass

Tropical storm watch:

• East coast of the Florida Peninsula south of the St. Lucie/Indian River County Line southward to Flamingo

What impacts will Hurricane Milton have on Florida?

Expected impacts include:

• Storm surge of 10-15 feet for Tampa Bay and the Anclote River to Englewood. See other areas under storm surge threat.
• Rainfall amounts of 5 to 10 inches, with localized totals up to 15 inches. AccuWeather predicted up to 30 inches in some isolated locations.
• Damaging winds.
• Tornadoes.
• Dangerous surge.
• Life-threatening surf and rip current conditions
• Power outages.

Do not focus on the cone!

The cone you see from the National Hurricane Center shows a consensus based on models on where the center could be over the next several days. Based on the latest graphic, that means the center of the hurricane could be be anywhere from Gainesville to Naples as it moves across the state.

Impacts will be felt miles from storm's center and Milton currently is predicted to become a Category 4 hurricane as it approaches the west coast of Florida. It could still be a hurricane by the time it reaches it reaches the Atlantic coast.

Gov. DeSantis issues state of emergency for most of Florida

Of Florida's 67 counties, 51 are under a state of emergency: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie Sumter, Suwanee, Taylor, Union, and Volusia counties.

What should you do if you live in Florida?

• Finish preparing your home restock food and water, gas up the car, charge your phone.
• If you don't know your evacuation zone is, here's how to find out.
• If you're going to evacuate, or you live in an flood zone, now is the time to leave. If you're told to evacuate, please leave!
• Several schools have already announced they'll be closed . Here's how to find the status of yours, from Florida Department of Education.
• Prepare for power/cell outages .

Keep an eye on weather updates. and make sure you monitor the latest conditions.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: In a minute: What you need to know about Hurricane Milton as it approaches Florida