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.

The Category 5 Hurricane Milton was expected to grow larger on Tuesday as it threatened Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula on its way to Florida, where more than a million people were ordered to evacuate from its path.

Not even two weeks after Hurricane Helene swamped the Florida coastline, Milton has strengthened rapidly into a Category 5 hurricane on a path toward the state. The system is threatening the densely populated Tampa metro area — which has a population of more than 3.