National Weather Service issues shelter-in-place and tornado warnings in Florida

The National Weather Service told Florida residents still in the Sunshine State on Wednesday afternoon that the time had come to "shelter-in-place" as they brace for Hurricane Milton.

The hurricane is expected to make landfall near Tampa late Wednesday night, and is currently a strong Category 4 and threatens Florida's western coast with tall storm surges. The hurricane comes as Florida also recovers from Hurricane Helene, which has killed at least 230 people so far. 

"It’s time to shelter-in-place from Milton," the weather service posted to X. "Tropical-storm force winds, flooding rains, and tornadoes are spreading inland across FL. Unless a life-threatening situation arises, stay indoors and follow updates."

Tampa Bay officials said residents should view themselves as "ground zero" for the hurricane and should be prepared for the storm to be a "knockout," according to the Associated Press.

The warning also comes as the state issues more than 50 tornado warnings as of 3 p.m., with at least 11 confirmed tornadoes being spotted so far, per weather service reports. The bulk of the tornado warnings were issued in Miami.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.