Time to evacuate running out as Hurricane Milton closes in on Florida

The Tampa Bay area, home to more than 3.3 million people, faced the possibility of widespread destruction after avoiding direct hits from major hurricanes for more than a century.

Teresa Elder walks through a flooded Sandy Cove Drive from Hurricane Helene. Pic: AP

Hurricane Milton is churning towards a potentially catastrophic collision along the west coast of Florida.

Some residents have insisted they will stay after millions were ordered to evacuate and officials warned that stragglers would face grim odds of surviving.