The state of Florida is no stranger to hurricanes, but few times has the threat of mass catastrophe been as high as with Hurricane Milton, expected to make landfall on Wednesday, Oct. 9 in the Tampa Bay area. 

Authorities and forecasters are using strong wording to convince residents located in the highest-risk areas to evacuate as soon as possible. 

Jane Castor, Mayor of Tampa, told locals "If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you're going to die."

She added that no one in Tampa has ever experienced anything similar to Milton's strength.

President Biden has decided to postpone his foreign travel to Germany and Angola scheduled for this week as the storm threat grows. 

"The Federal government is preparing to support affected communities wherever and whenever needed. Preparedness efforts are underway in conjunction with state and local partners. Together we stand ready to respond to any potential impacts on communities," The White House said in a release this morning. 

In a press conference on Tuesday morning, President Biden warned this could be one of the worst hurricanes to impact the U.S. in over 100 years.

Growing threat

Hurricane Milton is undergoing an eyewall replacement which could lead its area to expand. 

CNN explains that during this stage, over the course of a few hours, the missing eyewall is replaced by a newer, larger eyewall which is more dangerous because it reaches a wider area.

Overnight, Milton dropped from Category 5 to Category 4, but its tropical-storm-force winds started to expand Tuesday as its eye worked to reconsolidate.

Once the new eyewall is settled, it can restrengthen again and sometimes surpass its previous peak strength.

As thousands flee the area, officials in the Tampa Bay area announced they are shutting off water service ahead of Hurricane Milton’s arrival.

Initial projections suggest damages from Hurricane Milton could reach $1 billion. 

This is a developing story.