Fearful Florida residents are streaming out of the Tampa Bay region ahead of what could be a once-in-a-century direct hit from Hurricane Milton.

After a century of near misses and close calls, Tampa Bay’s nightmare scenario churned ever closer to reality by Tuesday afternoon as Hurricane Milton headed toward the region, expected to make landfall as a Category 3 storm.

As Hurricane Milton intensified on its path toward Florida's Gulf Coast, the strength of the system increased the severity of the storm surge forecast.