Hurricane Milton: Florida mayor warns 'you are going to die' if you refuse to leave the area

As Hurricane Milton barrels towards the Gulf Coast , Tampa Bay Mayor Jane Castor has sounded an alarm to the citizens, calling it potentially the worst hurricane to strike the city in a century. With forecasters now classifying Milton as a ferocious Category 5 storm with winds screaming at 180mph , Castor was adamant on CNN, stating: "I can say this without any dramatization whatsoever: If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you are going to die. This is something that I have never seen in my life and anyone who was born and raised in the Tampa Bay area has never seen this before."

With evacuations causing gridlock, the images captured depict a long line of vehicles crawling out of Tampa and Lakeland . Although traffic has eased up somewhat, congestion reports still indicate trouble spots throughout Polk County and Sumter County, among others, urging residents to consult the latest travel updates prior to departure.

The National Weather Service in Tampa Bay is advising the over three million locals under evacuation orders to decamp promptly , brace for heavy traffic, depart sooner rather than later, and make sure to be safely ensconced by Tuesday evening. An estimated six million people lie in the path of the evacuation zone.

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The last time Tampa Bay was hit by a storm as severe as Hurricane Milton was back in 1921, when the city was a small town of just a few hundred thousand residents. Fast forward a century and it's now one of the fastest-growing cities in the US, home to over 3 million people and highly susceptible to flooding due to climate change.

As Milton makes its way towards Florida's Gulf Coast, the NWS has warned that it "will be the worst storm to impact the Tampa area in over 100 years."

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State officials have urged locals to 'complete all prep before tomorrow night' and stock up on water. This terrifying hurricane arrives less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene caused extensive flooding in the state and resulted in the deaths of over 200 people across six states.

With maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (240 kph) over the southern Gulf of Mexico, Milton is a force to be reckoned with, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. In addition to Florida , hurricane warnings have been issued for parts of Mexico's Yucatan state and much of Florida's west coast.

Officials are also keeping a close eye on Florida's Lake Okeechobee, which often floods during intense storms. On Monday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis emphasised the importance of clearing up the mess left by Helene before Milton hits.

Governor DeSantis has urged for swift action, stating, "We don't have time for bureaucracy and red tape. We have to get the job done."

He warned of the risks posed by debris, saying, "You have time to prepare - all day today, all day Monday, probably all day Tuesday to be sure your hurricane preparedness plan is in place," and advised those on the west coast, particularly on barrier islands, to anticipate evacuation orders. On Sunday, DeSantis reportedly widened his state of emergency declaration to encompass 51 counties, calling on residents to prepare for further power outages and disruptions.

He stressed the importance of having a week's supply of food and water and being ready to evacuate. "We are preparing ... for the largest evacuation that we have seen, most likely since 2017, Hurricane Irma," Guthrie disclosed.