Category 5 Milton explodes as winds hit 180 mph - much of Florida Gulf Coast evacuating | 7 Oct 2024 | Florida's highways were filled with evacuees on Monday, streaming away from the Gulf Coast ahead of what is expected to be a catastrophic landfall from Hurricane Milton in just a few days. To their west, in the open Gulf of Mexico, Milton exploded into a frightening Category 5 storm with 180 mph maximum sustained winds. The monster storm blew up overnight and kept going. Forecasters are calling for the chart-topping winds to weaken somewhat by mid-week but Milton is still shaping up a record disaster doubling down on Hurricane Helene just two weeks ago. Milton is expected to make landfall on the west coast as a Category 3 hurricane, potentially pushing up to 15 feet of storm surge ashore in Tampa Bay -- roughly twice what Helene pushed over the coastline.