Florida is eyeing the landfall of Hurricane Milton as a Category 5 hurricane

Florida residents are scrambling to complete emergency preparations — or simply leave — as Hurricane Milton races toward the crowded Tampa Bay area.

Milton is currently a category five hurricane, packing sustained winds of up to 165mph (270km/h). It is expected to hit hard on Wednesday night, less than two weeks after the state was hit by the worst hurricane Helene.

President Joe Biden warned Florida residents on Tuesday to leave their homes “as a matter of life and death” as the state made its biggest evacuation effort in years.

“Category five, like a major hurricane coming at you,” a resident of the Gulf Coast city of Bradenton told the BBC from his hotel in Kissimmee.

“I wouldn’t want to be there,” said Gerald Lemus. “This is going to be a life-changing storm no matter where it hits.”

Mr Lemus, who has lived in Bradenton all his life, said he had never been out because of any previous storm. But she decided she had to do it for the safety of her eight-year-old daughter.

“I just looked at him and I couldn’t hurt him with something like this,” he said on Tuesday night. “It’s a gamble we weren’t willing to take.”

ML Ferguson has been struggling to rebuild his home in Anna Maria, Florida, after it was severely damaged last month by Helene, a Category 4 hurricane when it hit.

“This one is going to be worse than Helene,” he said on the phone while standing on the main road out of town.

“My car is totaled, we were all fired from our jobs, too [my] the property is damaged. After this storm hits, I will be officially homeless.”

Governor Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that Florida has set up dozens of shelters outside evacuation zones to help residents displaced by the “monster” storm.

Long lines at gas stations are forming in south Florida, as some stations begin to run out of gas.

Chynna Perkins told the BBC that she remains in Tampa, where she lives in a newly built house outside the evacuation zones.

“I don’t think people really understand how much planning goes into a decision like this,” he said, adding that he has two large Great Danes.

“There is too much traffic and there is no gas available right now. People are running out of gas on the highway.”

DeSantis said that fuel is transported to the stations, and electric vehicle charging stations are also placed on the roads to make it easier to get out.

Tampa resident Steve Crist spoke to the BBC while climbing through the windows of his dental office. “They are all gone, I have never seen it so quiet,” he said.

Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, President Biden said the storm could be Florida’s worst in a century.

“Get out now, now, now,” he told Florida residents.

The White House canceled Biden’s planned visits to Germany and Angola to oversee preparations for Milton and the ongoing recovery from Hurricane Helene.

Less than two weeks ago Hurricane Helene – the deadliest hurricane since Katrina in 2005 – struck the southeastern US, killing at least 225. Hundreds more are missing.

At least 14 of those deaths are in Florida, where 51 of 67 counties are now under emergency warnings as Milton approaches.

The National Hurricane Center warned people to brace for strong winds that could send debris onto roads from Helene to fly into the air.

Rainfall totals could reach up to 15 inches (38cm), and coastal areas could see storm surges of 10-15ft (3-4.5m).

Hurricanes are categorized based on wind speed. Category three and above are considered major because of their potential for injury and loss of life, according to the National Weather Service.

Counties began issuing evacuation orders Monday, and tolls were suspended on roads in west and central Florida.

The closure of schools in many districts began on Tuesday. Airports in Tampa and Orlando have announced they will suspend flight operations until the storm passes.

Parts of Pinellas County, where at least a dozen people were killed by Helene, were placed under evacuation orders Monday.

The approach of the new storm comes as the US government warns that cleanup efforts could take years after Hurricane Helene.

More than 12,000 cubic yards of debris have been removed from areas affected by Helene in Florida in less than two days, officials said.

Hundreds of roads remain closed, hampering efforts to send aid to hard-hit communities.

As well as Florida, deaths were recorded in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia – as well as the hardest-hit state, North Carolina.

Biden has ordered an additional 500 troops to be sent to North Carolina. The soldiers – now about 1,500 in total – will work with thousands of government aid workers and the National Guard.

So far he has approved almost $140m (£107m) in government aid.