Officials warn 'if you stay you will die' while millions scramble to flee Florida as unprecedented 180mph Hurricane Milton barrels in threatening to be the worst storm in 100 years

Officials have issued a stark warning to Floridians as residents are ordered to evacuate before Hurricane Milton makes landfall on the Gulf Coast tomorrow.

Nearly the entirety of Florida's west coast is under a hurricane warning today as the storm and its 180mph winds creep towards the state, sucking energy from the Gulf of Mexico's warm water. 

The system is threatening the densely populated Tampa metro area - which has a population of more than 3.3million people - with a potential direct hit tomorrow.

Mayor Jane Castor to has warned residents that if they don't evacuate, 'you are going to die'. Milton is expected to bring a possible 8- to 12-foot storm surge and widespread flooding to the area.

Evacuation orders began at 10am yesterday, with gas and flights selling out as locals began to flee. Traffic was thick on Interstate 75 heading north as crews were also seen hurrying to clear debris left by devastating Hurricane Helene just 12 days ago. 

Milton was so strong overnight that experts called for it to be given unprecedented Category 6 status, however the hurricane was downgraded to a Category 4 early this morning. Forecasters warn it still poses 'an extremely serious threat to Florida'.

Milton will make landfall on the west coast of Florida late Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center's Live Hurricane Tracker.

It is expected to be a Category 3 storm with winds of 111-129mph when it hits the shore in the Tampa Bay region, which has not endured a head-on hit by a major hurricane in more than a century.

'This is the real deal here with Milton,' Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told a Monday news conference. 'If you want to take on Mother Nature, she wins 100 per cent of the time.' 

President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Florida, and US Rep. Kathy Castor said 7,000 federal workers were mobilized to help in one of the largest mobilizations of federal personnel in history.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis told reporters Monday afternoon the hurricane was far stronger than what was predicted two days ago.  

Milton could retain hurricane strength as it churns across central Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean, forecasters warn. That track would largely spare other states ravaged by Helene, which killed at least 230 people on its path from Florida to the Carolinas just 12 days ago.

Milton was a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 180mph and was centered about 675miles southwest of Tampa late Monday afternoon.

Those winds eased to 155mph by early Tuesday and the hurricane was downgraded to Category 4 status. The National Hurricane Center warned Milton still posed 'an extremely serious threat' and that entire Gulf Coast of Florida is especially vulnerable to storm surge.

Forecasters warned of a possible 8-to-12-foot storm surge in Tampa Bay. That's the highest ever predicted for the location and nearly double the levels reached two weeks ago during Helene, said National Hurricane Center spokeswoman Maria Torres.

The storm could also bring widespread flooding to the region. Five to 10inches of rain was forecast for mainland Florida and the Keys, with as much as 15inches expected in some places.

Tampa International Airport said it will stop flights at 9am today. The airport posted on X that it is not a shelter for people or their cars.

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport said it is in a mandatory evacuation zone and will close after the last flight leaves Tuesday.

Mexican officials are organizing buses to evacuate people from the low-lying coastal city of Progreso on the Yucatan Peninsula after Mexico's National Meteorological Service said Hurricane Milton 'may hit between Celestun and Progreso' late Monday or early Tuesday.

Celestun, on the western corner of the peninsula, is a low-lying nature reserve home to tens of thousands of flamingos. Progreso, to the east, is a shipping and cruise ship port with a population of about 40,000.

The window has nearly closed for people to escape Tampa Bay by plane and social media users have warned that gas stations are running out of fuel, potentially preventing people from escaping by car. 

Multiple people have posted anecdotes claiming they are unable to afford the cost of either driving or flying their way out of the state ahead of Milton.

'I've had two people in the last HOUR tell me they can't afford to evacuate for Hurricane Milton Never tell me low wages aren't violent ever again,' one user on X posted.

A Sarasota resident also claimed they lack the financial means to get out of the storm's way.

'I live in Sarasota, which is in the direct path of Hurricane Milton. They are evacuating my town, but there is no gas left to evacuate, and traffic is so bad that it could be more dangerous to try and evacuate at this point. What would you do if you were me?'

Sharing drone footage of clogged traffic along I-75 between Morris Bridge and Bruce B Downs on Monday, one X user said: 'This is why a lot of people are staying behind, at a certain point traffic is so bad you cannot get out of Florida, or there's no gas. So you're stuck outside of Gainesville.'

One woman, whose son lives in Hernando County, said that he is trapped. 

'Everywhere is out of gas and roads are too backed up for him to evaluate,' she tweeted. 'He has family in Georgia but can't get there. This is scary. He is scared. I am terrified for him.'

The concerned mother added that her son's community was also among those flooded by Hurricane Helene last week. She said: 'Now Milton is heading for them.'

The Tampa Bay area is still rebounding from Hurricane Helene, which came ashore some 150miles away from Tampa in the Florida Panhandle and still managed to cause drowning deaths in the Tampa area due to surges of around 5 to 8 feet above normal tide levels.

Twelve people died from Helene, with the worst damage along a string of barrier islands from St. Petersburg to Clearwater.

Evacuation orders have been issued for beach communities all along the Gulf coast. In Florida, that means anyone who stays is on their own and first responders are not expected to risk their lives to rescue them at the height of the storm.

Stragglers were a problem during Helene and 2022's Ian. Many residents failed to heed ample warnings, saying they evacuated during previous storms only to have major surges not materialize. 

But there was evidence Monday that people were getting out before Milton arrives.

A steady stream of vehicles headed north toward the Florida Panhandle on Interstate 75, the main highway on the west side of the peninsula, as residents heeded evacuation orders. 

Traffic clogged the southbound lanes of the highway for miles as other residents headed for the relative safety of Fort Lauderdale and Miami on the other side of the state.

About 150miles south of Tampa, Fort Myers Beach was nearly a ghost town by Monday afternoon as an evacuation order took effect.

On Monday, the few residents who could be found were racing against the clock to safeguard their buildings and belongings. None said they were staying.

Home construction supplies like bricks, piping and even workers' outhouses lined the streets, potential projectiles that could do further damage if a surge hits.

At the beach Monday afternoon, workers busily emptied the triple-wide trailer that houses The Goodz, a combined hardware, convenience, fishing supply, ice cream and beach goods store. 

Owner Graham Belger said he moved his 'Your Island Everything Store' into the trailer after Ian destroyed his permanent building across the street.

'We'll rebuild, but it is going to be bad,' he said.

Nearby, Don Girard and his son Dominic worked to batten down the family's three-story combination rental and vacation home that's about 100feet from the water. Its first-floor garage and entranceway were flooded by Helene last month, Hurricane Debby in August, and a tide brought by a recent supermoon.

Ian was by far the worst. Its waves crashed into the 14-year-old home's second floor, destroying the flooring. Girard repaired the damage, and his aqua-blue and white home stands in contrast to the older, single-story house across the street. 

It was submerged by Ian, never repaired and remains vacant. Its once-off-white walls are now tinged with brown. Plywood covers the holes that once contained windows and doors.

Girard, who owns a banner and flag company in Texas, said that while his feelings about owning his home are mostly positive, they are becoming mixed. 

He said every December, his extended family gathers there for the holidays. At that time of year, temperatures in southwest Florida are usually in the 70s (low 20s Celsius) with little rain or humidity. The area and its beaches fill with tourists.

'At Christmas, there is no better place in the world,' Girard said. But flooding from Ian, the other storms and now Milton is leaving him frustrated.

'It's been difficult, I'm not going to lie to you,' Girard said. 'The last couple years have been pretty bad.'