Milton could be the first major hurricane to hit Tampa Bay since 1921

Hurricane Milton weakened slightly Tuesday but remained a ferocious storm that could land a once-in-a-century direct hit on the populous Tampa Bay region with towering storm surges and the power to turn debris from Helene's devastation into dangerous projectiles.

Most of Florida's west coast was under a hurricane or tropical storm warning as the system and its 150 mph (240 kph) winds spun just off Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, creeping toward shore and sucking energy from the Gulf of Mexico's warm waters. With the storm expected to remain fairly strong as it crosses Florida, the hurricane warnings were extended early Tuesday to parts of the state's east coast.

Milton's center could come ashore Wednesday night in the Tampa Bay area, which has a population of more than 3.3 million people. The county that's home to Tampa ordered areas adjacent to the bay and all mobile and manufactured homes to be evacuated by Tuesday night.

“You do not have to get on the interstate and go far away,” Gov. Ron DeSantis told a news conference, assuring residents there would be enough gasoline to fuel their cars for the trip. “You can evacuate tens of miles. You do not have to evacuate hundreds of miles away. You do have options.”

In Riverview, several drivers waiting in a long line for fuel Tuesday morning said they had no plans to evacuate.

“I think we’ll just hang, you know — tough it out,” said Martin Oakes, of Apollo Beach. “We got shutters up. The house is all ready. So this is sort of the last piece of the puzzle.”

Ralph Douglas, of Ruskin, said he, too, will stay put, in part because he worries he would run out of gas trying to return after the storm or get blocked by debris.

“Where I’m at right now, I don’t think I need to evacuate,” he said.