The Latest: Hurricane Milton strengthens into a Category 5 as Florida prepares for evacuations

Milton rapidly strengthened in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday, becoming a Category 5 storm on a path toward Florida.

The major hurricane threatens to bring dangerous storm surge to Tampa Bay and is setting the stage for potential mass evacuations less than two weeks after a catastrophic Hurricane Helene swamped the coastline and killed more than 230 people.

Follow AP's coverage of tropical weather at https://apnews.com/hub/weather.

Here's the latest:

People evacuate flood-prone area of the Yucatan Peninsula that Milton will brush by

MEXICO CITY — Dozens of residents and tourists lined up with suitcases and other belongings to catch an evacuation ferry off Holbox island, on the eastern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Holbox, popular for its shallow seascapes, may be one of the closest points that Hurricane Milton brushes before moving toward Florida. The low-lying island tends to flood even with a light rain.

Off-and-on resident Marilú Macías was calm and smiling, but was afraid of what Milton could do to the island.

''We are afraid something might happen to us. We're going someplace safer,'' Macías said of herself and her daughters. ''We decided it was best to leave the island.''

Biden speaks with DeSantis to discuss Milton preparations and Helene recovery

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has spoken with Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to discuss preparations in Florida for the approaching Hurricane Milton and ongoing recovery efforts from the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene.

The White House confirmed the president's call with the governor after Vice President Kamala Harris earlier on Monday accused DeSantis of ''playing political games'' and engaging in ''political gamesmanship'' over the federal response to Helene. Harris had reached out to the governor last week but said the two never spoke.

DeSantis said he ''didn't know that she had called."

Biden also spoke on Monday with Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and received a detailed briefing from National Weather Service Director Ken Graham on Milton's expected impact.

Family must flee th

eir home near Tampa Bay for a second time

TAMPA, Fla. — Packed into a car with her three young kids, somewhere on State Road 429 and still hours away from the hotel they booked north of Jacksonville, Candice Briggs was trying to stay strong — she knows her children are watching.

Not even two weeks ago, Hurricane Helene sent a foot and a half of water into her family's home in the Tampa Bay community of Seminole, just across the bridge from Pinellas County's barrier islands. The family had just settled into their temporary lodgings at the home of an extended family member.

Briggs hadn't even finished their post-Helene loads of laundry. And now, she, her husband, their kids and their 14-year-old Maltese poodle mix are all evacuating again.

''Most of the tears I've cried have been out of exhaustion or gratitude. Just that we're safe and that we followed our instincts to evacuate,'' Briggs said. ''Mostly I am grateful. But I am overwhelmed and I am exhausted. And it feels powerless.''

A self-described rule-follower and the mom of a 7-year-old, 5-year-old and 3-year old, Briggs has no qualms about heeding evacuation orders.

Still, Briggs' mind is on her storm-damaged house, where workers have already torn out feet of sodden drywall, leaving behind exposed beams she fears will be even more vulnerable to the towering wall of water that forecasters say Milton could lash against this flood-prone stretch of the Gulf Coast.

''It is very daunting," she said.

Even amid the chaos and disruption, she's trying to preserve a sense of normalcy for her kids, playing pop music and counting cows and horses to keep their spirits up, like it's any old road trip.

''I don't know how long we'll be out of our home,'' she said as they once again headed north, fleeing another storm. ''And that's tough because young children don't understand."

''They want a countdown,'' she said, ''and I can't give you that.''

Atlanta speedway allows evacuees to use its camping areas and showers

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Motor Speedway is opening its camping areas and showers for people evacuating from Hurricane Milton, Georgia emergency officials said.

The speedway, south of Atlanta off Interstate 75, hosted more than 100 evacuees in 2017, as Hurricane Irma threatened Florida.

First alerts sent to Florida residents notifying them of hurricane and storm surge warnings

The first alerts notifying residents of Pinellas, Manatee, Pasco, Charlotte, Citrus and Hillsborough counties in Florida of a hurricane warning and storm surge warning went out via email, text message and phone call beginning at about 5:10 p.m. EDT, according to messages received by The Associated Press.

The hurricane warning said the impacts of Milton could be ''devastating to catastrophic.''

The alerts warned that sturdy buildings could suffer complete roof and wall failures, and that damage could make some areas "uninhabitable for weeks or months.''

St. Petersburg officials warn storm surge from Milton could be greater than Helene's

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — In St. Petersburg, officials warned residents still cleaning up after Helene's storm surge that flooding could be twice as great during Milton.

''Our community now faces an ever more daunting challenge,'' said Mayor Ken Welch. ''This is a powerful storm. More powerful than Helene with more potential storm surge.''

If the city takes a direct hit, the rebuilding of electric and water services could take a long time, he said.

''But the most important thing at this point is to save lives,'' Welch said. ''Please heed all evacuation orders. This is an incredibly powerful storm.''

Airports near Tampa to ground flights Tuesday

TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa International Airport said it will stop flights at 9 a.m. Tuesday, before Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall. The airport posted on X that it is not a shelter for people or their cars.

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport said it is in a mandatory evacuation zone and will close after the last flight leaves on Tuesday.

The imminent shutdowns made the few flights out of the storm's path expensive. By late Monday afternoon, American Airlines' website showed only a few seats left on Monday night departures from Tampa. Most flights to Atlanta were priced at more than $1,000 for a one-way ticket. Delta Air Lines showed nothing available.

Storm surge and hurricane warnings issued for most of Florida's west coast

MIAMI — The U.S. National Hurricane Center has issued storm surge warnings for almost the entirety of Florida's west coast, from Flamingo at the state's southern tip to the Suwanee River, which flows into the Gulf of Mexico about halfway between Tallahassee and Tampa.

The majority of that area was also under a hurricane warning. The hurricane center also issued storm surge watches on the U.S. East Coast including much of Florida up to parts of South Carolina.

Hurricane Milton's sustained wind speeds increased to 180 mph (290 kph) Monday afternoon, the hurricane center said. The Category 5 storm, located 80 miles (125 kilometers) off the coast of Progreso, Mexico, was moving east at 10 mph (17 kph).

''Milton poses an extremely serious threat to Florida and residents are urged to follow the orders of local officials,'' the hurricane center said in their latest storm advisory.

Florida governor warns Milton is stronger than previously forecast

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pointed out while briefing reporters Monday afternoon that the hurricane is already far stronger than what was predicted two days ago.

''This is a ferocious hurricane,'' DeSantis said.

DeSantis cautioned that while the storm is expected to weaken by the time it reaches Florida, residents shouldn't bank on it, and said Milton will cause destruction regardless.

''At the strength it is now, this is a really, really strong storm. The effects of that, not just from the storm surge but from wind damage and debris, will be really, really significant,'' DeSantis said. ''This is not a storm you want to take a risk on.''

Those who plan to stay in Tampa prepare for Milton's expected arrival

TAMPA, Fla. — The streets were quiet Monday afternoon in Tampa's Channel District, home to sleek high rises, coffee shops and the state's largest seaport — Port Tampa Bay. A Margaritaville-themed cruise ship set sail one day early from the port, revelers leaving behind this vulnerable stretch of Florida's Gulf Coast to the sounds of Soca music.

Residents walked their dogs while Amazon delivery workers dropped off their packages ahead of Hurricane Milton's expected arrival midweek.

Spence Clark and his 9-year-old chihuahua terrier mix Tiny got some fresh air before the rain was forecast to move in. His fiancé is an EMT and has to stay in town to respond to the storm, so Clark and Tiny plan to hunker down there in their fourth-floor apartment. He said residents seem to be taking this storm more seriously after the damage dealt by Hurricane Helene not even two weeks ago.

''I feel like a lot more people are evacuating as well. Like, I know a lot of my friends have left or they are planning to,'' Clark said. ''It's more sensitive now that we have gone through something traumatic.''

The couple has stocked up on snacks and water and parked their cars in an elevated garage ahead of the storm. Clark said he's not too worried; he joked that it may be harder to keep Tiny fed than he and his fiancé. The dog eats a special kind of food that's supposed to stay frozen, not shelf-stable kibble.

''I feel like the most thing we're worried about is his dog food,'' Clark said with a laugh. ''Gotta prepare for him more than us.''

Traffic crawls on I-75 as people evacuate Florida

WILDWOOD, Fla. — Interstate 75 northbound was bumper to bumper and moving about 6 to 7 mph (10 to 11 kph) Monday afternoon as Floridians and visitors to the state attempted to flee Hurricane Milton.

The traffic snarl stretched for miles north of Tampa and in the Wildwood area, where Florida's Turnpike pours into I-75.

Earlier Monday, the state opened the left shoulder to motorists in an effort to expedite the evacuation route.

At a store in Fort Myers Beach

Just feet from the sand at Fort Myers Beach, about 10 workers busily emptied the triple-wide trailer that houses The Goodz, a combined hardware, convenience, fishing supply, ice cream and beach goods store.

Owner Graham Belger said he moved his ''Your Island Everything Store'' into the trailer after Ian destroyed his permanent building across the street two years ago.

As Don McLean's song ''American Pie'' — with its lyrics about driving to the levee but the levee was dry — played softly inside, the workers quickly carried sledge hammers, garden hoes, nails and other merchandise outside into a hauling trailer to be moved away, ignoring the plastic beach toys stuck in a corner. The mandatory evacuation order was looming and the crew needed to finish.

Belger directed traffic while disconnecting his computerized cash register so it too could be removed to safety.

''I'm very worried,'' Belger said about Milton's approach. ''We'll rebuild, but it is going to be bad.''

Mexican officials are organizing buses to evacuate people from the low-lying coastal city of Progreso on the Yucatan peninsula

That comes after after Mexico's National Meteorological Service said Hurricane Milton ''may hit between Celestun and Progreso'' late Monday or early Tuesday.

Celestun, on the western corner of the peninsula, is a low-lying nature reserve home to tens of thousands of flamingos. Progreso, to the east, is a shipping and cruise ship port with a population of about 40,000.

''We are facing a hurricane that is not following the typical trajectory of those that normally have hit us,'' said Yucatan state Gov. Joaquín Díaz, who ordered the cancellation of all non-essential activities excepting grocery stores, hospitals, pharmacies and gas stations.

Florida is allowing evacuating motorists to use the left shoulder in some places

The Florida Department of Transportation is allowing motorists evacuating from Hurricane Milton to drive on the left northbound shoulder of Interstate 75 from Tampa to Interstate 10 in north Florida, and along eastbound Interstate 4, which cuts through central Florida from Tampa to the Atlantic Coast.

Officials say the right shoulder lanes are limited to emergency vehicles only.

An update on South Carolina's response to Helene

South Carolina officials estimate $250 million has been spent so far on debris clean up, infrastructure damage and emergency response during Hurricane Helene.

The state has had more than 300 homes destroyed and 5,200 damaged, state Emergency Management Division Director Kim Stenson said Monday.

When asked how much South Carolina might ask Congress for in storm aid, Gov, Henry McMaster said he didn't know.

''We're still assessing that. But it's going to be a big number,'' McMaster said.

Power crews continue to make significant progress on outages. Only about 45,000 businesses and home didn't have electricity Monday afternoon. There were about 1.4 million outages at the peak of the storm.

South Carolina's largest school district will reopen on Wednesday after seven days out of school because of Hurricane Helene.

When will Milton make landfall?

According to the National Hurricane Center's Live Hurricane Tracker, Milton will make landfall on the west coast of Florida on Wednesday evening. It's expected to be a Category 3 storm when it hits the shore and will barrel across the state through major cities like Tampa and Orlando overnight into Thursday.

White House says Vice President Kamala Harris has been briefed again on Hurricane Milton

The White House says she was briefed on the anticipated effects of Milton on Florida, as well as the various preparations underway across the federal government to support Florida's response. She'll continue to be briefed throughout the coming days, the White House says.

In Fort Myers, a miles-long line of vehicles was attempting to flee on Interstate 75

South of Fort Myers, I-75 heads east across what's known as Alligator Alley before splitting off toward either Fort Lauderdale or Miami.

By early afternoon, many gas stations near I-75 in Fort Myers were already out of fuel. And there were long lines of people trying to stock up on supplies at the local Home Depot and Walmart stores ahead of Hurricane Milton's landfall.

Georgia's elections chief doesn't expect Helene's damage to have a big effect on voting in the state

Georgia's top elections official said Monday that he doesn't expect damage from Hurricane Helene to cause major disruptions in next month's general election in the state.

After coming ashore in Florida, Helene hit Georgia hard, leaving destruction and power outages in its wake. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said during a news conference that, for the most part, elections offices in the state's 159 counties did not sustain serious damage, and no equipment was affected.

''What has been on everyone's mind is what will happen to elections,'' Raffensperger said. ''Good news: Absentee ballots are going out this week as scheduled, and early voting will start next Tuesday, on Oct. 15.''

Blake Evans, the elections director for the secretary of state's office, said county election officials have been dealing with power and internet outages in some parts of the state. But he said emergency management officials have helped prioritize elections offices to make sure they get power restored, and by Monday there were ''minimal, if any, power outages to election offices across the state.''

▶ Read more about Georgia elections after Helene.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has suspended tolls on roads across much of the state to help people more quickly evacuate

The tolls have been waived for seven days, starting Monday morning.

''With evacuation orders imminent, this will help keep traffic moving and be one less thing for people to worry about ahead of Milton,'' DeSantis said Monday.

President Biden just declared an emergency declaration in Florida. What does that mean?

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, there are two types of disaster declarations provided for in the Stafford Act: Emergency Declarations and Major Disaster Declarations. Both declaration types authorize the president to provide supplemental federal disaster assistance.

An Emergency Declaration can be declared for any occasion or instance when the president determines federal assistance is needed. They supplement state and local efforts in providing emergency services such as the protection of lives, property, public health, and safety. The total amount of assistance provided for a single emergency may not exceed $5 million, otherwise, the president will need to report it to Congress.

In Fort Myers Beach, people are working to board up and leave before Hurricane Milton arrives

Early Monday afternoon, about two hours before a mandatory evacuation order took effect, stragglers and workers in Fort Myers Beach were working feverishly to board up and leave before Milton and its' possible surge arrived.

The beach town on Florida's Gulf Coast was already a near ghost town, with U-Haul trucks lining the neighborhood streets and pulling away.

This is neighborhood two blocks from the Gulf was ravaged by Hurricane Ian's surge two years ago.

Older homes that survived Ian stand next to new homes that were rebuilt over the past two years. Half-built homes stand next to vacant lots.

''This whole street used to be filled out with houses,'' said Mike Sandell, owner of Pool-Rific Services. His workers were removing the pool pump and heater from a residential pool, and planning going to put it on the home's second floor so it wouldn't get washed away by any surge from Hurricane Milton.

''These are all the kinds of things that got washed away two years ago,'' Sandell said. ''We're down here trying to help the best we can. We've been in business here for 20 years.''

FEMA's administrator criticizes false claims about the agency's response to Hurricane Helene

FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell continued to strongly push back against false claims and conspiracy theories about her agency's response to Hurricane Helene.

In North Carolina, more than 1,600 members of search and rescue teams have been joined by about 1,700 members of the North Carolina National Guard along with 1,000 active-duty military personnel, according to Gov. Roy Cooper's office.

''We have thousands of people on the ground, not just federal, but also our volunteers in the private sector,'' Criswell said at a news conference Monday in Asheville, North Carolina. ''And frankly, that type of rhetoric is demoralizing to our staff that have left their families to come here and help the people of North Carolina. And we will be here as long as they're needed.''

On Friday, FEMA put out a statement debunking rumors that the agency will only provide $750 to disaster survivors to support their recovery.

''The $750 gets you money to help with your medicine or the food you lost in your refrigerator,'' Criswell said. ''And then we're going to give additional money for the repairs to your home and the items that were lost. We're going to help with any rental that they incur or any of the displacement cost if they went and stayed at a hotel. All of that reimbursed. But I can't give it to them if they don't apply. And if people are afraid to apply, then it is hurting them.''

In central Florida, there's a stream of vehicles heading north on Interstate 75

That's the scene on the interstate Monday afternoon as residents were already heeding the pleas of local and state officials to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Milton.

In some stretches, the flow of traffic slowed considerably due to the sheer number of cars, semi-trucks and recreational vehicles trying to get out of harm's way. Emergency officials are telling those in the storm's path to consider evacuating tens of miles rather than hundreds of miles away, in part due to concerns that traffic could snarl evacuation routes and leave motorists stranded.

Sarasota County urges residents to take the approaching storm seriously

''Take action now to ensure you and your loved ones are ready,'' officials posted on the county's website.

Sarasota, which is about 60 miles (96 kilometeres) south of Tampa on Florida's Gulf Coast, is preparing for whatever Hurricane Milton brings. Evacuations were underway Monday in the most coastal and low-lying areas. ''Leave now,'' was the directive on the website. Other areas should be prepared for the storm as well, officials said.

Sarasota took a glancing blow from Hurricane Helene late last month, and many areas in the region were flooded by storm surge.

The county said evacuation centers will open at 10 a.m. on Tuesday for those who can't leave the area.

''If your plan is to leave the area, do so now, today, Monday. This will be one of the largest evacuations along our state's west coast. If you wait, you will get stuck in traffic,'' officials said.

A potential major hurricane hitting Tampa Bay directly hasn't happened in more than 100 years

It's the ''black swan'' worst case scenario that MIT meteorology professor Kerry Emanuel and other hurricane experts have worried about for years.

Part of it is that for some reason – experts say it's mostly luck with a bit of geography – Tampa hasn't been smacked with a major hurricane since the deadly 1921 hurricane that had 11 feet (3.3 meters) of storm surge that inundated downtown Tampa, though there wasn't much to the city at the time, Emanuel said. Since then, a metropolis has grown and it's full of people who think they've lived through big storms when they haven't, he said.

''It's a huge population. It's very exposed, very inexperienced and that's a losing proposition,'' Emanuel, who has studied hurricanes for 40 years, said. ''I always thought Tampa would be the city to worry about most.''

He said the whole basin is shaped and low-lying so it's quite susceptible to flooding.

Hurricane Milton strengthens into a Category 5 storm

Milton rapidly strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane, the strongest level, in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday on a path toward Florida.

Milton had maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (250 kph), the National Hurricane Center said.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will relocate to the New Orleans area ahead of Sunday's game against the Saints

They plan to leave Tampa on Tuesday morning, the team announced in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Lightning's Monday game against the Nashville Predators has been canceled. That game has been rescheduled from Sept. 27 because of Hurricane Helene.

Hurricane Milton is forecast to become a Category 5 and is making aim for Florida

Milton rapidly strengthened in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday and was forecast to become a Category 5 storm on a path toward Florida, threatening a dangerous storm surge in Tampa Bay and setting the stage for potential mass evacuations less than two weeks after a catastrophic Hurricane Helene swamped the coastline.

A hurricane warning was issued for parts of Mexico's Yucatan state, and much of Florida's west coast was under hurricane and storm surge watches. Florida's Lake Okeechobee, which often floods during intense storms, was also under a hurricane watch.

Milton was a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph (250 kph) Monday morning over the southern Gulf of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center said. It was forecast to become a Category 5 hurricane later Monday with winds greater than 157 mph (250 kph) and become a large hurricane over the eastern Gulf.

Its center could come ashore Wednesday in the Tampa Bay area, and it could remain a hurricane as it moves across central Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean.

Tampa Bay is scrambling to clear damage from Helene before Milton makes landfall

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday that it was imperative that messes from Helene be cleaned up ahead of Milton's arrival so they don't become dangerous flying projectiles.

More than 300 vehicles picked up debris Sunday but encountered a locked landfill gate when they tried to drop it off. State troopers used a rope tied to a pickup truck and busted it open, DeSantis said.

''We don't have time for bureaucracy and red tape,'' DeSantis said. ''We have to get the job done.''

▶ Get up to speed on Hurricane Milton