TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Sunday, the National Hurricane Center forecast that Hurricane Milton could become a Category 4 hurricane before making landfall on Florida's west coast.
Max Defender 8 meteorologists have been tracking Milton's progress as it heads east — particularly as it targets Tampa, which has not taken a direct hit from a hurricane in 100 years.
The location of where it could make landfall could have drastically different consequences for the Tampa Bay area.
Should it land just north of Tampa Bay, as some models predict, Milton could bring severe storm surge to areas that are still recovering from Hurricane Helene.
Should it land further south, the storm surge would be less of a concern, but the hurricane would still present a major threat through rainfall and winds.
Max Defender 8 Chief Meteorologist said we could see impacts on Wednesday morning, which means the last day to prepare is Tuesday.
You can watch the track analysis in the player above.