Hurricane Milton upgrades to Category 5 as Florida braces

Milton — an extremely dangerous Category 5 hurricane — was growing in size Tuesday while sweeping toward Florida’s west coast. The storm is predicted to make landfall Wednesday night, striking a densely populated zone that includes Tampa, Sarasota and Fort Myers.

“If Milton stays on its course, this will be the most powerful hurricane to hit Tampa Bay in over 100 years,” the National Weather Service warned.

It is forecast to generate an ocean surge that could inundate the hardest-hit areas with 10 to 15 feet of water, resulting in extensive damage and potentially costing billions of dollars. Milton has prompted what could be Florida’s largest evacuation since Hurricane Irma in 2017.

“If you’re under evacuation orders you should evacuate now, now, now,” President Joe Biden said Tuesday.