Hurricane Milton is strengthening to a Category 5 storm

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

“This is the real deal here with Milton,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said at a news conference. “If you want to take on Mother Nature, she wins 100% of the time.”

Milton rapidly intensified on Monday and was expected to become a major hurricane over the eastern Gulf. It had maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (257 km/h), the National Hurricane Center said. The storm’s center was about 130 miles (210 kilometers) west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico and about 720 miles (1,160 kilometers) southwest of Tampa on Monday afternoon, moving east-southeast at 9 mph (15 km/h).

Its center could reach the Tampa Bay area on Wednesday and remain a hurricane as it moves through central Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean. That would largely spare other states devastated by Helene, which killed at least 230 people on its path from Florida to the Appalachian Mountains.

Forecasters warned of a possible storm surge of 8 to 12 feet (2.4 to 3.6 meters) in Tampa Bay and said flash and river flooding could result from 5 to 10 inches (13 up to 25 inches) of rain in mainland Florida and the Keys, with up to 15 inches (38 centimeters) in places.

The Tampa Bay area is still recovering from Helene and its strong growth. Twelve people died, with the worst damage along a string of barrier islands from St. Petersburg to Clearwater.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday it was imperative that the Helene mess be cleaned up before Milton arrives so they don’t become projectiles. More than 300 vehicles picked up debris on Sunday but were faced with a locked storage gate when they tried to leave it. State troopers used a rope tied to a pickup truck and broke it open, DeSantis said.

“We don’t have time for bureaucracy and red tape,” DeSantis said.

Lifeguards in Pinellas County, on the peninsula that forms Tampa Bay, removed lounge chairs and other items that could fly away in high winds. Elsewhere, stoves, chairs, refrigerators and kitchen tables waited in piles to be picked up.

Sarah Steslicki, who lives in Belleair Beach, said she is frustrated that more debris wasn’t collected sooner.

“They screwed up and didn’t pick up the debris, and now they’re scrambling to pick it up,” Steslicki said Monday morning. “If this one hits, there will be missiles flying. Things will float and fly in the air.”

Hillsborough County, where Tampa is located, ordered evacuations for areas adjacent to Tampa Bay and for all mobile and manufactured homes until Tuesday evening.

“Yeah, that stinks. We know this and it comes as many of us are still recovering from Hurricane Helene,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “But if you protect your families, you will be alive.”

Milton’s approach sparked memories of Hurricane Irma in 2017, when an estimated 7 million people were urged to evacuate Florida in an exodus that blocked highways and clogged gas stations. Some people who left vowed never to evict again.

Even though Tanya Marunchak’s home in Belleair Beach was flooded with more than four feet of water from Helene, she and her husband weren’t sure Monday morning if they should evacuate. She wanted to leave, but her husband thought their three-story house was sturdy enough to withstand Milton.

“We lost all our cars, all our furniture; the first floor was completely destroyed,” Marunchak said. “This is the weirdest weather ever.”

If residents don’t evacuate, they could endanger first responders or make rescues impossible: “If you stay there, you could die and my men and women could die trying to save you,” said Hillsborough’s fire chief, Jason Dougherty.

The University of Central Florida in Orlando said it would close midweek, but Walt Disney World said it was operating normally for now.

All tolls have been suspended in west central Florida. International Airport St. Pete-Clearwater said it will close after the last flight on Tuesday, and Tampa International Airport said it plans to halt air and cargo flights beginning Tuesday morning.

All classes and school activities in Pinellas County, where St. Petersburg is located, were closed Monday through Wednesday and schools were being turned into shelters. Tampa officials have cleared city garages for residents, hoping to protect their cars from flooding.

The coastal Mexican state of Yucatan canceled courses along the coast after forecasters predicted Milton would affect the northern part of the state. The cancellations included the most populous cities on the Gulf Coast, such as Progreso; the capital, Merida; and the protected nature area of ​​Celestun, known for its flamingos.

It’s been two decades since so many storms tore through Florida in such a short period of time. In 2004, an unprecedented five storms hit Florida within six weeks, including three hurricanes that hit central Florida.

Although Tampa hasn’t been hit directly by a hurricane in over a century, other parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast are recovering from such storms in the past two years. The Fort Myers area of ​​southwest Florida is still rebuilding from Hurricane Ian, which caused $112 billion in damage in 2022. Three hurricanes have hit Florida’s Big Bend region in just 13 months, including Helene.

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Schneider reported from Orlando. Associated Press writer Brendan Farrington in Tallahassee contributed to this report.