Milton is forecast to become a Category 5 hurricane later today, according to the National Hurricane Center's 11 a.m. ET update. The storm is currently located about 720 miles southwest of Tampa, Fla., and is expected to become a large hurricane over the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Milton rapidly strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane Monday on a path toward Florida population centers including Tampa and Orlando, threatening a dangerous 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.