Hurricane Milton intensified at an astonishing rate over 24 hours, reaching Category 5 strength with 180 mph maximum sustained winds as it targets Florida’s storm-weary Gulf Coast. South

Stores across the central Florida region saw runs on bottled water, flashlights, and generators. Long lines of vehicles jockeyed for sand and sandbags — scarce, in some places that offered

Hurricane Milton strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane Monday on a path toward Florida population centers, threatening a 12-foot storm surge in Tampa Bay and setting the stage for potential mass evacuations less than two weeks after a catastrophic Hurricane Helene swamped the coastline.