Mapping hurricanes:Savannah's Helene experience shows 'lines and dots' can ... for water levels to peak within major flood stage for the entire Southeast South Carolina and Georgia coast with the early afternoon high tide.” Dangerous rip currents ...

Tropical Storm Milton formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday as forecasters expect the storm to quickly strengthen into a major hurricane over the next few days. Milton is expected to rapidly intensify over the next 36 hours and could be a major Category 3 hurricane when it reaches the west coast of the Florida peninsula mid-week,

The storm, forecast to make landfall Wednesday evening in Florida, is now a Category 5 storm with sustained wind speeds of 175 mph.

The National Hurricane Center said Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall in Florida as a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday afternoon. NBC News’ Jesse Kirsch reports on how debris leftover from Hurricane Helene could become a hazard in Milton’s high speed winds.

"Time is going to start running out very, very soon," he warned. Waste removal trucks are urgently trying to get debris from Hurricane Helene off the streets of coastal communities before Milton hits.

Life-threatening storm surges are expected to hit Florida's Gulf Coast this week with the arrival of Hurricane Milton, which was upgraded Monday afternoon to a Category 5 hurricane over the southern Gulf of Mexico.