Florida officials say time is running out for residents to flee ahead of Hurricane Milton’s anticipated landfall Wednesday night, as they make their final evacuation warnings to locals near Tampa Bay and along the west coast of the peninsula.

Hurricane Milton dropped to a Category 4 early Wednesday as it churns toward Florida’s west coast. The National Hurricane Center had predicted it would likely weaken, but remain a major hurricane when it makes landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday.

Heavy rains, damaging winds and dangerous tornadoes assaulted the central Florida coast as the ferocious Hurricane Milton neared shore Wednesday with millions of Floridians braced for its impact. As the storm drew closer to shore,

Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall along Florida's Gulf Coast, possibly just south of the mouth of Tampa Bay.

Airlines, energy firms and a Universal Studios theme park were among the companies beginning to halt their Florida operations as they braced for disruptions with Hurricane Milton set to make landfall on Wednesday.

The Category 4 storm prompted what could be Florida’s largest evacuation since Hurricane Irma in 2017, and officials say the time to prepare is running out.