Chilling view of Hurricane Milton from space as monster storm set to make Florida landfall in hours

Florida is bracing for the catastrophic arrival of Hurricane Milton , potentially the most destructive storm to hit the state in a century , with harrowing space imagery revealing its immense magnitude.

The impending storm is prompting mass evacuations from Tampa Bay and nearby locales as its touchdown is anticipated for later on Wednesday.

Local officials are dispensing stark life-or-death ultimatums to residents: evacuate or face mortal consequences; even first responders assert they won't endanger their own lives to rescue those who linger during the hurricane's onslaught.

"Today's the last day to get ready," emphasized Craig Fugate, the former FEMA director with preceding tenure at Floridas emergency operation division, in an interview with AP. "This is bringing everything."

Nasa astronaut Matthew Dominick recorded footage of the looming storm onboard the Dragon Endeavour spacecraft showing its enormous size.

Moment passengers on Florida cruise ship stranded at sea are evacuated as Hurricane Milton hits

Hurricane Milton sparks police vigilance against looters while residents flee as Category 5 storm nears

Still recovering from the assaults of Hurricane Helene which inflicted both casualties and significant ruin, Florida faces another potential calamity that could wreak greater havoc, reports the Express US .

Governor Ron DeSantis has orchestrated a massive cleanup effort, deploying a fleet of 300 dump trucks tasked with clearing out the relics of Hurricane Helene's destruction, achieving a staggering 1,300 loads of debris cleared by Tuesday afternoon.

Nick Szabo in Clearwater Beach, fresh off the batters of Hurricane Helene, labored tirelessly through yet another day, removing heaps of water-logged possessions, while residents impatient with the city's overtaxed contractor services took matters into their own hands.

"All this debris is like missiles," Szabo remarked grimly. "It's like a spear coming at you." Concluding Tuesday afternoon with a menacing uptick in strength, Hurricane Milton intensified back to Category 5 status, brandishing winds that surged to a terrifying 165 mph.

The 11 Florida counties facing mandatory evacuation orders are where roughly 5.9 million people reside, based on U. S. Census Bureau data. Hurricane Milton is predicted by the hurricane center to sweep across central Florida, potentially unleashing up to 18 inches of rain as it moves toward the Atlantic.

At a press briefing, Governor DeSantis reassured locals that they need not go far to evacuate, promising ample gasoline supplies for their vehicles.

In response to the impending crisis, President Joe Biden has declared an emergency for the state, warning: "This could be the worst storm to hit Florida in over a century."

To prepare for Hurricane Milton's impact, FEMA has deployed close to 900 personnel in the area and prepped two staging locations with 20 million meals and 40 million liters of water, as per White House reports.