Past experiences are helping them ready for Hurricane Milton, which is developing into a Category 5 hurricane and hurtling towards Florida's Gulf Coast. "This is the first time where we are on top of it.

Milton rapidly strengthened in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday and was forecast to become a Category 5 storm on a path toward Florida, threatening a dangerous storm surge in Tampa Bay and setting the stage for potential mass evacuations less than two weeks after a catastrophic Hurricane Helene swamped the coastline.