The latest track still has Milton heading to the west coast of Florida and making landfall as a major hurricane late Wednesday into Thursday morning. Hurricane watches are in effect along the Florida Gulf Coast from Chokoloskee to the mouth of the Suwanee River, including Tampa Bay and the Dry Tortugas.

The National Hurricane Center says people across Florida should take notice: Milton is still just a tropical storm off Mexico, but it's gaining strength and is expected to intensify rapidly as it move

Mandatory evacuation orders are in place as Florida officials warn residents that time is quickly running out.

Residents and tourists in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula were bracing for the impact of Milton as it rapidly strengthened in the Gulf of Mexico, becoming a Category 5 storm on Monday on a path toward Florida.