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.

“It’s like you’re driving through a canyon of people’s lives on the curb,” said Kevin Batdorf, president of the neighborhood association where 82% of the 2,642 homes fell victim to Hurricane Helene’s historic storm surge less than two weeks ago.

The last time the eye of a major storm like Hurricane Milton directly struck Tampa Bay was 1921 when the city was a sleepy backwater.