A number of airports in Florida are adjusting operations or closing altogether ahead of Hurricane Milton’s landfall this week. The system is threatening the Tampa Bay area, which is home to more than 3.

More than 5.5 million people were urged to leave Florida’s western coast, one of the largest evacuations in state history. Some who have stayed for previous storms decided to go this time.

Milton remains on track to slam into the west coast of Florida early Thursday as a large and powerful hurricane, bringing a destructive storm surge, damaging winds and severe flooding to many of the same areas still reeling from Hurricane Helene’s devastating flooding and winds less than two weeks ago.