Florida is bracing for its largest evacuation in seven years as Hurricane Milton strengthens in the Gulf of Mexico, threatening the state’s western coast. The storm, which escalated from a tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane on Sunday, is expected to make landfall on Wednesday near the heavily populated Tampa Bay area. The National Hurricane Center warns Milton could arrive as a major hurricane, compounding the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, which hit northern Florida just days earlier.

Kevin Guthrie, director of Florida’s emergency management, urged residents to take the evacuation orders seriously. "This will likely be the largest evacuation we’ve seen since Hurricane Irma in 2017," Guthrie said at a press conference. "I highly encourage you to evacuate."

As of Sunday evening, Milton was located about 780 miles southwest of Tampa, with winds of 85 mph, and was moving east at 7 mph. Forecasters warn the storm is likely to strengthen to a Category 3 or 4 before landfall, with widespread catastrophic flooding anticipated. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis cautioned that Milton could bring a higher storm surge and more power outages than Helene, which has already left parts of the state grappling with debris and damage.

"There are areas with a lot of debris left from Helene. If a major hurricane hits, it will only amplify the damage," DeSantis warned. The governor stressed that this is an "all hands on deck" situation as the state races to remove debris ahead of Milton’s arrival.

In Pinellas County, home to St. Petersburg, mandatory evacuations are expected for over 500,000 residents in low-lying areas on Monday. Sheriff Bob Gualtieri urged people to evacuate immediately, recalling that too many ignored warnings during Helene, leading to 12 deaths and over 1,500 unanswered emergency calls.

Hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities in the county have already begun evacuations, with 6,600 patients being moved to safer locations. Schools have been canceled from Monday through Wednesday in anticipation of the storm.

St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch expressed concerns over the compounded destruction from the back-to-back storms. "We’re already facing years of rebuilding from Hurricane Helene, and this new storm will only make matters worse," he said.

Hurricane Milton’s imminent threat follows the deadly impact of Hurricane Helene, which claimed over 200 lives across six states, making it the deadliest U.S. storm since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In response to Helene, President Joe Biden has ordered an additional 500 active-duty troops to assist in recovery efforts, bringing the total number of federal workers and National Guard personnel on the ground to more than 14,000.

The Biden administration has also approved $137 million in federal assistance, with further aid expected as the economic toll of both hurricanes is predicted to reach into the billions.