Milton slammed into Florida's already storm-blasted coast Wednesday evening as a Category 3 hurricane threatening huge swaths of Tampa Bay, Sarasota and regions still reeling from the destruction of Helene.

Forecasters are urging people in Florida to make preparations or leave their homes today, as the National Hurricane Center confirmed that Milton is a "catastrophic Category 5 hurricane" and will hit Florida later today or early tomorrow as a major storm.

Southern Hillsborough County saw damage from Hurricane Helene, and once again, communities like Apollo Beach and Ruskin are boarding up and heading out on Tuesday ahead of Hurricane Milton.