• Hurricane Milton, a category four storm, is approaching Florida after briefly reaching category five
• Evacuations and emergency preparations are underway across the state
• Governor DeSantis and President Biden coordinate efforts while tensions with Vice President Harris emerge

US officials have warned of the dangers posed by Hurricane Milton, which briefly reached a category five hurricane before reverting to a category four as it approaches Florida.

Milton is still packing devastating winds of up to 155 mph (250 km/h) as it passes the northern tip of Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecasts “potentially catastrophic” storm surges along coastal areas.

The hurricane is predicted to strike the densely populated metropolis of Tampa Bay with full power on Wednesday, less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene devastated the state.

Floridians have been instructed to prepare for the state’s most considerable evacuation effort in years.

Governor Ron DeSantis has cautioned that the time for people to flee is rapidly running out.

“We have to assume this is going to be a monster,” DeSantis said at a press conference on Monday afternoon, as officials warned of the storm’s category five strength.

Hurricane Milton warnings came just ten days after Hurricane Helene, the deadliest mainland storm since Katrina in 2005, wreaked havoc on the southeast United States, killing at least 225. Hundreds more remain missing.

At least 14 of the deaths occurred in Florida, where 51 of 67 counties are currently under emergency alerts as Milton approaches.

“Unfortunately, some of the Helene victims are in the path of this storm,” according to DeSantis.

According to Ken Graham, director of the National Weather Service (NWS), Milton has become a category five hurricane at a record-breaking pace, with wind speeds increasing by 80 knots (148 km/h) in 24 hours.

“That’s the third highest we have on record,” he told me.

Hurricanes are classified into five groups according to their wind speed.

According to the NWS, storms that reach category three or above are classified as major hurricanes due to the potential for considerable loss of life and property damage.

Hurricane Milton is projected to weaken as it passes across the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, down to a category three storm by the time it makes landfall in Florida’s Tampa Bay on Wednesday evening or Thursday morning.

The National Hurricane Center warned that severe rain and flash floods might be predicted in sections of Florida beginning late Monday.

It also warned that life-threatening storm surges and severe winds were possible along parts of Florida’s west coast beginning late Tuesday or early Wednesday.

Rainfall totals could reach 15 inches (38 cm) in some regions, and storm surges along the coast could reach 10-15 feet (3-4.5 meters).

County officials began issuing evacuation orders on Monday, and tolls will be halted on roadways in western and central Florida.

Long lines at gas stations began to form in south Florida, and there were reports of stations running out of fuel.

DeSantis stated that traffic congestion in some regions has increased by up to 90% above usual.

School closures in numerous areas will begin on Tuesday.

Keith Turi, a representative for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema), stated, “I’m encouraged by the amount of evacuation that’s going on right now.”

This is a good sign.

On Monday, evacuation orders were issued for parts of Pinellas County, where Helene killed at least a dozen people.

Airports in Tampa and Orlando announced that flight operations would be suspended beginning Tuesday due to the storm.

Foul weather also hampered the presidential campaign.

DeSantis met with President Joe Biden over the phone. Still, NBC News reports that he has refused to receive calls from Vice President Kamala Harris, who is running for president against former President Donald Trump.

“I didn’t realize she phoned me… “I was not aware of that,” DeSantis stated.

When queried about her calls not being answered on Monday afternoon, Harris replied that “playing political games with this moment, in this crisis [s], these are the height of emergency [s], [is] utterly irresponsible.”

“And it is selfish, and it is about political gamesmanship instead of doing the job that you took an oath to do, which is to put the people first.”

A town hall-style gathering with former President Trump scheduled for Tuesday in Miami has been postponed until next week.

The health and safety of everyone involved in this event is the highest priority,” said Univision, the event’s host network.

Where and when is Milton likely to hit?

The latest hurricane approaches just as the US government cautions that clean-up activities from Hurricane Helene might take years.

According to officials, over 12,000 cubic yards of debris were collected from Helene-affected areas of Florida in less than two days.

DeSantis stated that debris cleanup will continue “until it is no longer safe to do so”.

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Hundreds of roads in affected areas remain closed, complicating efforts to provide help to hard-hit towns.

Helene made landfall in late September as a category-four hurricane, causing structural damage, flash flooding, and power outages in millions of residences.

In addition to Florida, deaths were reported in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, as well as the most severely affected state, North Carolina.

Biden has ordered an additional 500 soldiers to be deployed to North Carolina. The troops, who now number 1,500 in total, will serve alongside thousands of government aid workers and the National Guard.

Biden has already approved about $140 million (£107 million) in federal help.

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