"We already will be rebuilding for years because of Hurricane Helene, and that will be exacerbated by the impacts of this storm," St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch said. "Remember, H

Milton has become a Category 5 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico on a path toward Florida's west coast, threatening a dangerous storm surge in Tampa Bay.

Communities in Florida are preparing to get hit head-on by a potential Category 3 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico days after Hurricane Helene made landfall in the state — killing 20 people, leaving thousands without power and paving a trail of wreckage.

Tropical Storm Milton rapidly intensified into a Category 1 hurricane Sunday with its path aimed at Florida, less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene struck the state.

A state of emergency has been declared in parts of Florida as a hurricane barrels towards the already-ravaged Gulf Coast. The National Hurricane Centre confirmed that Milton - currently off the coast of Mexico - had intensified into a Category 1 hurricane on Sunday and could pose "life-threatening hazards" for parts of Florida's west coast.

Tropical Storm Milton is threatening to grow into a major hurricane aimed at Florida’s Gulf Coast including Tampa, potentially causing billions of dollars in damage and heaping more misery on a state and region still reeling from Helene less than two weeks ago.