Hurricane Milton to smash Florida in HOURS as time running out to flee 'catastrophic' monster storm

Hurricane Milton is barrelling towards Florida's west coast, threatening catastrophic damage, despite millions being told to evacuate.

Some defiant locals are choosing to stay put , facing dire warnings from officials including one who warned people planning to stay: "you're gonna die."

Tampa Bay, with a population exceeding 3.3 million, braces for potential havoc, having dodged direct hits from major hurricanes for over 100 years. The National Hurricane Center has forecasted that Milton , which reached a terrifying Category 5, will likely remain a significant hurricane upon its expected landfall late Wednesday.

As of early Wednesday, Milton was roughly 360 miles southwest of Tampa, with winds of 160 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

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Forecasters anticipate the storm maintaining its hurricane status as it traverses central Florida on Thursday, heading eastward to the Atlantic. However, the exact trajectory of the hurricane is still up in the air, with Tuesday evening predictions shifting the path slightly south of Tampa.

In anticipation of Milton's arrival, thousands have jammed Florida's highways trying to escape, but the window for evacuation is closing fast on Wednesday. Tampa's Mayor Jane Castor highlighted the severity of the situation, pointing out that the predicted storm surge of up to 15 feet could engulf entire homes.

"So if you're in it, basically that's the coffin that you're in," Castor grimly remarked. Milton is bearing down on communities still struggling to recover two weeks after Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc in western Florida, leaving at least 230 people dead in its wake across the South.

In Punta Gorda, a coastal town roughly 100 miles south of Tampa, residents were confronted with 5-foot high mounds of ruined possessions on Tuesday, remnants from the flood-damaged homes.

Despite many abandoned residences, Scott Joiner, an accountant and art enthusiast, has chosen to stay in his New Orleans-style abode, which he erected 17 years prior. During Helene's onslaught, bull sharks were spotted navigating the inundated streets, and one of Joiner's neighbours had to be saved by canoe.

"Water is a blessing to have," he remarked, "but it is very deadly." Undeterred by the impending threat, Joiner is preparing to face Milton head-on. With Milton on the approach, officials have enacted compulsory evacuation directives across 11 counties in Florida, impacting around 5.9 million individuals based on data from the US Census Bureau.

Authorities have cautioned that those who choose to remain are on their own, as emergency services will not jeopardize their safety conducting rescues during the storm's peak.

Meanwhile, in Riverview, located to the south of Tampa, numerous motorists queuing for petrol on Tuesday expressed their intention to stay put despite the evacuation orders.

Martin Oakes, from nearby Apollo Beach, expressed his determination to weather the storm, stating: "I think we'll just hang, you know - tough it out. We got shutters up. The house is all ready. So this is sort of the last piece of the puzzle." However, not everyone was as optimistic following the devastation caused by Helene.

Evan Purcell, a resident of Anna Marie Island on the southern edge of Tampa Bay, was preparing to evacuate on Tuesday. He had already suffered thousands of dollars in damage when Helene flooded his home and feared that Milton might cause further destruction.

"I'm still in shock over the first one and here comes round two," said Purcell. "I just have a pit in my stomach about this one."

In anticipation of the storm, state and local governments were working tirelessly to remove debris left behind by Helene, concerned that the approaching hurricane could turn the wreckage into dangerous projectiles. Gov. Ron DeSantis revealed that the state had deployed over 300 dump trucks which had removed 1,300 loads of debris.

Meanwhile, in Mexico, minor damage was reported in the state of Yucatan as Milton passed just offshore. Power lines, light poles and trees were knocked down near the coast, and some small thatched-roof structures were destroyed, according to Yucatan Gov Joaquin Diaz. However, no deaths or injuries were reported.