00:00Hurricane Milton, a Category 5 storm, is advancing across the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida's
00:21central west coast with landfall expected late Wednesday or early Thursday. Mass evacuations
00:31have caused traffic congestion as Floridians prepare for a potential historic impact. Communities
00:37like Tampa Bay, still recovering from Hurricane Helene, are in the storm's projected path
00:43once again. The Florida Governor Ron DeSantis emphasized that Milton's effect will extend
00:50beyond the eye of the storm, especially regarding the storm surges. And so, emergency orders
00:56have been issued for 51 counties and residents have been advised to prepare for power outages,
01:02stock up the essential and evacuate if necessary. As of Tuesday evening, 17% of Florida's gas
01:11stations were out of fuel, with the Tampa Bay area hardest hit. Many have secured their
01:17homes and businesses, particularly in St. Petersburg, where preparation for the storm
01:22are underway. After briefly weakening to Category 4, Milton regained its Category 5 status on
01:28Tuesday night with wind reaching to 160 mph. Forecasters expect Milton to remain a dangerous
01:36hurricane as it crosses Florida before moving into the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday.
01:46The storm has already impacted Mexico's peninsula, where the warnings have been issued for damaging
01:52wind and storm surges. Milton is being described by the National Weather Service as potentially
01:58the worst hurricane to hit the Tampa Bay area in over a century. The National Hurricane
02:03Center noted while the intensity may fluctuate, Milton remains a significant threat with widespread
02:10impact expected along Florida's West Coast.
02:40What did you do to prepare your home? Boarded up the sliding glass doors, sandbags, boarded up the windows, took pictures and hoped for the best.
02:49Are you scared about what you might find when you come back? No, I can always rebuild. I'm not worried about that. As long as we're safe, that's all that matters.
02:57Apprehensive, really anxious. We have two young kids. It's scary.
03:09Don't miss out. Log on to OneIndia.com for more updates.
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