Hurricane Milton rapidly intensified into a Category 5 storm on Monday, threatening to bring additional storm surge and flooding later this week to a battered Florida that is still recovering from the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene.

Milton rapidly strengthened in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday and was forecast to become a Category 5 storm on a path toward Florida, 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.