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.

Tampa, with a metropolitan area that is home to over 3 million people, has not had a direct hit by a major hurricane in more than 100 years.

Palm Beach County leaders issued evacuation orders Tuesday for residents living in Zone A — a zone made up of low-lying inland areas not necessarily on the coast — as the state braces for the landfall of Hurricane Milton on Wednesday. Residents can check their evacuation zones on the county's emergency preparedness website.