Hurricane Milton live updates: Evacuation time ‘coming to an end’ as Tampa faces ‘impending catastrophe’ from storm surge

Florida residents in the path of Hurricane Milton have received a last-ditch emergency alert to “GET OUT NOW” ahead of the storm making landfall on Wednesday night.

While Milton’s intensity continues to fluctuate, and again weakening to a Category 4 hurricane on Wednesday morning, the National Hurricane Center predicts it will be “one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida”.

The storm continues to grow in size and winds are expected to pick up on Florida’s west coast this afternoon, the NHC warned.

In Pinellas County’s latest emergency alert, officials pleaded with residents to “GET OUT NOW. THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO GET OUT BEFORE THE STORM.”

Federal and state officials have urged those in Milton’s path to evacuate to avoid “catastrophic” winds, up to 18in rainfall and up to 15ft of storm surge, before the major hurricane slams into Florida’s west-central coast.

“This is the 11th hour. If you’re in an evacuation zone, the time to get out is now,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chard Chronister told CNN on Wednesday.

Vice President Kamala Harris warned that even the toughest Floridians won’t weather the “historic” hurricane, she said on The Late Show on Tuesday night.