Tampa, with a metropolitan area that is home to over 3 million people, has not had a direct hit by a major hurricane in more than 100 years.

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.

Hurricane Milton, which re-strengthened to a Category 5 hurricane Tuesday afternoon, is taking aim at Florida's west coast. Landfall is expected late Wednesday night as a Category 3 hurricane.Milton is closing in as Floridians are still recovering from the devastation unleashed by Hurricane Helene.

Experts believe Hurricane Milton will wipe out 95 percent of Florida’s west coast beaches, significantly changing the Sunshine State’s coastline as the powerful storm is expected to

Watch a live view of Tampa on Wednesday (9 October) as Florida braces for “catastrophic” Hurricane Milton. Millions of residents are racing to evacuate as the Category 5 storm approaches landfall on the state’s western coast.

The Category 5 storm prompted what could be Florida’s largest evacuation since Hurricane Irma in 2017, and officials say the time to prepare is running out.