Hurricane Milton churned Wednesday toward a potentially catastrophic collision along the west coast of Florida, where some residents insisted they would stay after millions were ordered to evacuate and officials warned that those who stayed behind could die.The Tampa Bay area, home to more than 3.3 million people, faced the possibility of widespread destruction after avoiding direct hits from major hurricanes for more than a century, Associated Press reported. The National Hurricane Center predicted Milton, a monstrous Category 5 hurricane during much of its approach, would likely weaken but remain a major hurricane when it makes landfall late Wednesday.Milton was centered early Wednesday about 580 kilometers southwest of Tampa with maximum sustained winds of 260 km/h, the National Hurricane Center reported.Hurricane Milton remains a powerful Category 5 storm with 260km/h winds on way to FloridaForecasters predicted the storm will retain hurricane strength as it crosses central Florida on Thursday on a path east toward the Atlantic Ocean.
The hurricane's precise track remained uncertain, as forecasters Tuesday evening nudged its projected path slightly south of Tampa.Tampa Mayor Jane Castor warned residents to leave the city and said those who stayed behind could face death. Two major concerns had authorities worried early Wednesday.
One was the expected storm surge of 4.5 meters, which would be deep enough to swallow an entire house.Secondly, piles of debris in the streets from Hurricane Helene two weeks ago was another major worry for authorities who said the debris could become deadly projectiles in the winds.                   Authorities have issued mandatory evacuation orders across 11 Florida counties with a combined population of about 5.9 million people, according to United States Census Bureau estimates.Officials have warned that anyone staying behind must fend for themselves, as first responders are not expected to risk their lives attempting rescues at the height of the storm.The post Time to evacuate is running out as Hurricane Milton closes in on Florida first appeared on Ariana News.