Hurricane Milton, a powerful and expanding storm that has fluctuated between a Category 4 and 5 as it churns in the Gulf of Mexico, is set to be a "historic storm for the west coast of Florida," according to the National Weather Service in Tampa Bay.

Hurricane Milton began its turn toward Florida on Tuesday rebounding back to Category 5 strength with a forecast landfall on the Gulf Coast south of Tampa Bay still as a major hurricane and the threat of 15-foot storm surge,

The storm is forecast to make landfall in Florida late Wednesday night as a "dangerous major hurricane," according to the National Hurricane Center.