TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned residents Monday to prepare for evacuation ahead of Hurricane Milton, even as crews were still working to clear debris left from Hurricane Helene.

Hurricane Milton was already a Category 5 hurricane with winds of 175 miles per hour as of Monday afternoon. As the storm moves east, it was expected to strengthen and make landfall along the Florida West Coast on Wednesday as a major hurricane. Forecasters warned of a possible 8- to 12-foot storm surge in Tampa Bay and said flash and river flooding could result from 5 to 10 inches of rain in mainland Florida and the Keys, with as much as 15 inches in places.

“If the storm stays on the current track, it will be the worst storm to impact the Tampa area in over 100 years,” according to the National Weather Service in Tampa. In 1921, the Tarpon Springs Hurricane hit Florida as a Category 3 storm on Oct. 25 with sustained winds around 115 mph. Eight people died, nearly half due to drowning and others from the hazards of fallen debris or live wires.

Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Kevin Guthrie, said Monday that the state is gearing up for the largest evacuation since 2017.

Guthrie and DeSantis said shelters will be opening with food and water available. However, capacity will be limited.

Florida, along with much of the south, is still recovering from the destruction caused by Category 4 Helene on Sept. 26. More than 200 people were killed across six states in the wake of Hurricane Helene — the deadliest named storm to hit the U.S. since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, according to Axios. On Monday, DeSantis also announced increased state support for county debris removal efforts, with 800 guardsmen already deployed and 4,000 more expected to assist.

President Joe Biden announced he approved an emergency declaration for Florida, as well as ordered federal assistance to supplement response efforts that might occur due to emergency conditions from Hurricane Milton.

DeSantis has been urging residents to prepare for potential power outages, restock hurricane kits, fill their gas tanks, stay on the lookout for emergency alerts, know their evacuation zones, and ensure they have enough food and water for seven days.

Officials have advised residents to move electric vehicles away from their homes, as contact with saltwater during the storm could cause fires.

Local counties in the path of Hurricane Milton are preparing by offering sandbags for residents in need.

Indian River County resident Todd Toussaint and his wife, Marcela, said they were planning to ride out the storm. They recently had someone inspect their hurricane straps which helped their modular home withstand a category 2 storm.

“We’re going to stay,” Toussaint said.

Meanwhile, at grocery stores in the region, parking lots were packed with people buying last-minute supplies.

Vero Beach resident Sue Kervin and her sister were among the people who bought the essentials.

“The old standby: toilet paper and water. You gotta have those!” said Kervin, who also stocked up on lunch meat, bread and doughnuts.

Indian River County officials said they were monitoring supplies coming to the area and assured residents there are enough supplies to go around, even as lines wrapped around gas stations where several people were seen filling gas cans.

“I had gas, I wanted to make sure I was topped off,” said resident Charles Kaune.

Schools across Florida pre-emptively canceled classes Tuesday through Thursday, with tentative plans to reopen Friday, depending on conditions,

The writers are all reporters for affiliates of Sinclair Broadcast Group, The Baltimore Sun’s media partner.