Storm strengthens, reaches dangerous Category 5, Florida prepares for massive evacuations

Hurricane Milton rapidly strengthened Monday morning, strengthening from a Category 4 hurricane to a dangerous Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of about 160 miles per hour as it targeted Florida's Gulf Coast, still reeling from the record-breaking landfall of Helene was suffering a little over a week ago. Millions face the prospect of evacuation as Milton gains momentum on its way to the Tampa Bay area, where it is expected to make landfall Wednesday evening.

Kevin Guthrie, the state's emergency management director, urged people in the Tampa Bay area to evacuate at a news conference Monday alongside Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

“I'm begging you. I'm begging you,” Guthrie said. “Drowning deaths from storm surge are 100% preventable if you walk away.”

DeSantis said Monday that 51 counties in Florida are currently under a state of emergency and that a request has been made to FEMA for assistance in anticipation of the hurricane's arrival before landfall. President Biden declared a state of emergency in Florida on Monday and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local efforts to respond to Hurricane Milton.

According to the NHC, the Mexican government has issued a hurricane warning for the coast of Mexico from Celestún to Cabo Catoche and a tropical storm warning from Celestún to Cancun. Residents of the Florida Peninsula, Florida Keys and northwestern Bahamas are also being asked to monitor progress.

Where is Hurricane Milton and what path is it taking?

As of Monday, 12 p.m. ET:

• Milton was located about 125 miles west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico.

• It was about 715 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida.

• The storm had maximum sustained winds of 160 miles per hour.

• The storm was moving east-southeast at a speed of 9 miles per hour.

The NHC warned Monday morning of “an increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge and damaging winds for portions of the west coast of the Florida Peninsula beginning Tuesday night or early Wednesday.”

“Residents in this area should follow all advice from local authorities and evacuate if ordered to do so,” the NHC said.

Parts of the Florida Peninsula and Florida Keys are expected to see 5 to 10 inches of rainfall through Wednesday night, with localized rainfall totals of up to 15 inches. Such rains pose “the risk of significant flash flooding, urban and regional flooding, as well as the possibility of moderate to severe river flooding,” forecasters said.

Meanwhile, parts of the northern Yucatan Peninsula are expected to experience 5 to 10 cm of rainfall.

Elsewhere, Hurricane Kirk has become a Category 1 hurricane. As of Monday morning, Kirk was about 765 miles from the Azores and moving north-northeast at a speed of 23 miles per hour, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 75 miles per hour. According to the NHC, there are no coast guards or warnings.

Warnings and evacuations

Starting Monday, 11 a.m. ET, a hurricane watch applies to:

• Most of Florida's western Gulf Coast, from Chokoloskee to the Suwannee River, including Tampa Bay

• Rio Lagartos to Cabo Catoche

• Campeche south of Celestun

• Dry Tortugas

• Lake Okeechobee

A “hurricane warning” means that hurricane conditions are possible in the areas and is typically issued 48 hours before the expected hurricane.

A Tropical storm watch applies to:

• Florida's Gulf Coast, from Flamingo to south of Chokoloskee

• Florida's Gulf Coast, from the Suwanee River to Indian Pass

• Florida Keys, including Florida Bay

A “tropical storm watch” means areas are expected to experience tropical storm conditions within the next 36 hours.

A Storm surge watch applies to:

A “storm surge watch” means there is a possibility of life-threatening flooding.

On Monday morning, the Florida Division of Emergency Management ordered evacuations for six Florida counties along the state's west coast.

During a news conference Monday morning, DeSantis urged residents to follow orders but emphasized that they don't have to travel far to be safe.

“You don’t have to evacuate hundreds of miles,” he said. “If you are in areas that are prone to storm surge, go to areas that are not prone to it. There are places you can visit in every county. Maybe it’s a friend’s house, maybe it’s a hotel, maybe it’s a place to stay.”

Mandatory evacuations apply to:

• Charlotte County, particularly in the water areas along the Gulf, Charlotte Harbor, and the Myakka and Peace Rivers.

• Hillsborough County

• Pasco County, especially those who live in low-lying areas or manufactured homes such as mobile homes or RVs.

• Pinellas County and its residential health care facilities in three specific county zones.

Voluntary evacuations apply to:

To find out if you live in an evacuation zone, click here.

Milton arrives days after Helene

Hurricane Milton comes just over a week after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region as a monstrous Category 4 storm, causing at least 20 deaths in Florida alone.

After making landfall with winds of 140 miles per hour, the storm moved inland across the Southeast, killing more than 200 people and leaving widespread destruction in its wake. After the storm, the state's infrastructure and emergency services were overwhelmed. As of 5:10 p.m. ET Sunday, over 350,000 utility customers were still without power in Florida.

Read more from Yahoo News: Helene shows that in the age of climate change, hurricanes don't just destroy coastlines

Active hurricane season

Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, but the peak of increased activity is usually from August to October. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a “typical” Atlantic hurricane season will typically see about 14 named storms, “of which seven become hurricanes and three become major hurricanes.”

In early October, eight hurricanes formed in the Atlantic – Milton was the 13th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. As CNN notes, hurricane season is moving faster than expected. Normally, the 13th storm of the season would not hit until October 25th at the earliest.

Earlier this week, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned that FEMA does not have the resources to get through the season. President Biden said this week that Congress may need to pass additional spending legislation in the next few months to fund states' recovery efforts.