Milton slammed into Florida's already storm-blasted coast Wednesday evening as a Category 3 hurricane threatening huge swaths of Tampa Bay, Sarasota and regions still reeling from the destruction of Helene.

Hurricane Milton is approaching Florida's west coast, threatening the Tampa Bay area—home to more than 3.3 million residents—with potential widespread destruction. A major hurricane has not directly struck the region in more than a century.

Forecasters are urging people in Florida to make preparations or leave their homes today, as the National Hurricane Center confirmed that Milton is a "catastrophic Category 5 hurricane" and will hit Florida later today or early tomorrow as a major storm.