FL Division of Emergency Management (@FLSERT) October 7, 2024 A Hurricane Warning and a Storm Surge Warning are up for much of both the west and east coasts of Florida, as Hurricane Milton races across the record-warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico toward an expected Wednesday night or early Thursday morning landfall.

The National Weather Service is warning that Hurricane Milton could bring several impacts to coastal South Carolina as the storm pushes out into the Atlantic.

Hurricane Milton churned Wednesday toward a potentially catastrophic collision along the west coast of Florida, where some residents insisted they would stay after millions were ordered to evacuate and officials warned that stragglers would face grim odds of surviving.

On Monday, Hurricane Milton stunned weather watchers around the globe as it rapidly intensified into a Category 5 hurricane in a matter of hours. At Milton’s strongest, winds topped out at 180 mph, making Milton one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes of all time.

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.

Hurricane Milton has reached historic strength as it approaches Florida. Yahoo Sports