Residents urged to leave Florida as Hurricane Milton strengthens to Category 5

The 11 Florida counties under mandatory evacuation orders are home to about 5.9 million people, according to estimates from the US Census Bureau.

North Miami Beach public service workers Roshad Smiley, left, and Mikhail Pollar, foreground, load sandbags to help prevent flooding (Wilfredo Lee/AP)

People streamed out of the Tampa Bay region on Tuesday as Hurricane Milton strengthened on its approach to Florida.

After weakening slightly, Milton regained strength on Tuesday afternoon to become a Category 5 storm again with winds of 165mph. It could make landfall on Wednesday night in the Tampa Bay area, which has a population of more than 3.3 million people.