Florida prepares to respond to Hurricane Milton making landfall as a category 5 storm

Floridians are rushing to complete emergency preparations – or leave – as Hurricane Milton makes landfall in densely populated Tampa Bay.

Milton is currently a Category 5 storm, with fierce winds of up to 165 mph (270 km/h). It is expected to hit hard Wednesday night, less than two weeks after the state was devastated by Hurricane Helene.

President Joe Biden on Tuesday warned people in Florida to leave their homes as a “matter of life and death” as the state undertakes its largest evacuation effort in years.

“Category 5, it’s like a giant tornado is coming at you,” a resident of the Gulf Coast city of Bradenton told the BBC from the hotel he evacuated to in Kissimmee.

“I didn’t want to be there,” Gerald Lemus said. “This will be a life-changing storm no matter where it hits.”

Mr. Lemus, who has lived in Bradenton all his life, said he had never evacuated for any storm before. But he decided he had to do it for the safety of his eight-year-old daughter.

“I just looked at her and I couldn’t hurt her with something like this,” he said Tuesday night. “It’s a gamble we’re not willing to take.”

ML Ferguson is struggling to rebuild his home in Anna Maria, Florida, after it was severely damaged last month by Helene, a powerful Category 4 storm when it made landfall.

“This is going to be much worse than Helene,” she said over the phone while stuck in traffic on the highway out of town.

“My car was completely damaged, we all lost our jobs and [my] Furniture was destroyed. After this storm hits, I will officially become homeless.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that Florida has prepared dozens of shelters outside evacuation zones to help residents stranded after the “monster” storm.

Long lines formed at gas stations in south Florida, as some stations began running out of fuel.

Chynna Perkins told the BBC she remained in Tampa, where she lives in a newly built house outside the mandatory evacuation zone.

“I don’t think people really understand how much planning it takes to come to a decision like this,” she said, adding that she has two large Great Danes.

“There’s so much traffic and there’s almost no gas right now. People are running out of gas on the highway.”

DeSantis said gasoline is being delivered to stations and electric vehicle charging stations are also being deployed along roads to facilitate evacuations.

Tampa resident Steve Crist spoke to the BBC as he walked up to his dentist’s office window. “Everyone’s gone. I’ve never seen this place so quiet,” he said.

Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, President Biden said the storm could be one of the worst in Florida in a century.

“Evacuate now, now, now,” he told Floridians.

The White House canceled Biden’s planned visit to Germany and Angola to oversee preparations for Milton and the ongoing recovery from Hurricane Helene.

Less than two weeks ago, Hurricane Helene – the deadliest land storm since Katrina in 2005 – struck the Southeast United States, killing at least 225 people. Hundreds of others are missing.

At least 14 of those deaths were in Florida, where 51 of 67 counties are now under emergency warnings as Milton approaches.

The National Hurricane Center warned residents to watch out for strong winds that could send debris still on the streets from Helene flying into the air with devastating force.

Rainfall totals could top 15in (38cm) and coastal areas could see storm surges of 10-15ft (3-4.5m).

Storms are classified based on wind speed. According to the National Weather Service, category 3 or higher is considered severe because of the potential for damage and loss of life.

Counties began issuing evacuation orders on Monday, with tolls suspended on roads in west and central Florida.

School closures in some districts began Tuesday. Airports in Tampa and Orlando announced they would suspend flight operations until the storm passes.

Areas of Pinellas County where at least a dozen people were killed by Helene were ordered to evacuate on Monday.

The new storm approaches as the US government warns that cleanup efforts could take years after Hurricane Helene.

More than 12,000 cubic yards of debris were removed from Helene-affected areas in Florida in less than two days, officials said.

Hundreds of roads remain closed, hindering efforts to send aid to hard-hit communities.

As well as in Florida, deaths were recorded in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia – and the worst affected state was North Carolina.

Biden ordered the deployment of 500 additional troops to North Carolina. The troops – currently numbering 1,500 in total – will work with thousands of government aid workers and the National Guard.

To date, he has approved nearly $140 million in federal assistance.