"With a central pressure of 897 mb, [Milton is] the 5th most intense hurricane in Atlantic history by central pressure," storm expert Colin McCarthy said.

Shelters were open in all 67 Florida counties, and authorities urged residents of evacuation zones not to attempt to ride out the storm.

Hurricane Milton is weakening slightly but remains a ferocious storm that could land a once-in-a-century direct hit on Tampa and St. Petersburg, engulfing the populous region with towering storm surges and turning debris from Helene’s devastation 12