PHOTO COLLECTION: Tropical Weather Debby

This is a collection of photos chosen by AP photo editors.

A drain pulls in residual rain water floods the downtown area caused by Tropical Storm Debby, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Bladenboro, NC. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Ann Farkas walks in her flood-damaged home in Canisteo, N.Y., Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, after remnants of Tropical Storm Debby swept tough the area, creating flash flood conditions in some areas. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

Randy Sikes, left, brooms water out of Diamond Dave's Grill as residual rain water flooding the downtown area due to Tropical Storm Debby begins to recede, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Bladenboro, NC. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

A resident measures the depth of the flooded street with storm water from Tropical Storm Debby, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024 Pooler, Ga. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)

Bullfrog Creek, a tributary of the Alafie River, left some creekside homes inundated with floodwaters following Tropical Storm Debby, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Alafia, Fla. (Max Chesnes/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

Savannah Fire Advanced Firefighters Andrew Stevenson, front, and Ron Strauss carry food to residents in the Tremont Park neighborhood that where stranded in flooding from Tropical Storm Debby, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Savannah, Ga. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)

Brantley Schnabel helps his family carry sandbags to their van while preparing for Hurricane Debby at a county park, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Savannah, Ga. Debby reached the Big Bend coast of Florida early Monday, bringing with it the potential for catastrophic flooding and life-threatening storm surge. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)

Tybee Island Department of Public Works employee Bruce Saunders uses a backhoe to pile sand as a barriers against storm surge from Tropical Storm Debby at a beach access point, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Tybee Island, Ga. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)

This satellite image provided by NOAA shows Tropical Storm Debby as it moves through the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida on Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024. (NOAA via AP)

A surfer comes out of the water after riding the high waves created by Tropical Storm Debby near the Tybee pier, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Tybee Island, Ga. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)

Kim Paul, 60, and her dog, Diesel, in front of their Shore Acres residence, as floodwaters reaches nearly halfway up her driveway, Monday morning, Aug 5, 2024, as Hurricane Debby passed the Tampa Bay area offshore. (Dylan Townsend/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

Flooding is seen near homes as The Don CeSar looms in the background Monday morning, Aug. 5, 2024 in St. Pete Beach, Fla., as Hurricane Debby passes the Tampa Bay area offshore. (Max Chesnes/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

Guests at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World brave wind and rain as bands of weather from Hurricane Debby pass through Central Florida, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Bay Lake, Fla. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)

Hershey Stepherson, left, and Bryan Burc, right, use a five gallon bucket to fill a sandbag while preparing for Hurricane Debby, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Savannah, Ga. Debby reached the Big Bend coast of Florida early Monday, bringing with it the potential for catastrophic flooding and life-threatening storm surge. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)

Debris covers the ground in Moncks Corner, S.C., from a possible tornado as Tropical Storm Debby settles over this region of South Carolina, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024 (Megan Fernandes/The Post And Courier via AP)

People wade into the flood waters overcoming Gordon Street as rain continues to fall from Tropical Storm Debby, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Charleston, S.C. (Henry Taylor/The Post And Courier via AP)

Trip Hamilton, from Charleston, S.C., canoes down Ashley Ave in Charleston as Tropical Storm Debby approaches, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)

A neighborhood a half-mile from the Alafia River is inundated with waist-high water after rainfall from Tropical Storm Debby swelled the river, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Alafia, Fla. (Max Chesnes/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

PHOTO COLLECTION: Tropical Weather Debby

PHOTO COLLECTION: Tropical Weather Debby

People attach a towline to a stranded vehicle on a flooded street after heavy rain from Tropical Storm Debby, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Savannah, Ga. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Milton strengthened into a major hurricane Monday on a path toward Florida population centers including Tampa and Orlando, threatening a storm surge as high as 12 feet in Tampa Bay and setting the stage for potential mass evacuations less than two weeks after a catastrophic Hurricane Helene swamped the coastline.

Milton grew into a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (205 kph) over the southern Gulf of Mexico. Storm surge and hurricane watches were issued for Florida's Gulf Coast, and a hurricane warning was issued for Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.

Forecast models vary widely, but the most likely path would have Milton making landfall Wednesday in the Tampa Bay area and remaining a hurricane as it moves across central Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean.

That would largely spare other southeastern states ravaged by Helene, which caused catastrophic damage from northern Florida to the Appalachian Mountains and killed at least 230 people.

Milton's center was about 165 miles (265 kilometers) west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico, and about 745 miles (1,195 kilometers) west-southwest of Tampa early Monday, moving east-southeast at 8 mph (13 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Milton is a bit atypical since it formed so far west and is expected to cross the entire southern Gulf, according to Daniel Brown, a hurricane specialist at the center.

“It’s not uncommon to get a hurricane threat in October along the west coast of Florida, but forming all the way in the southwest Gulf and then striking Florida is a little bit more unusual,” Brown said. Most storms that form in October and hit Florida come from the Caribbean, not the southwestern Gulf, he said.

A hurricane warning was in effect for Mexico from Celestun to Rio Lagartos. A hurricane watch was in effect for Mexico from Rio Lagartos to Cabo Catoche and Campeche to south of Celestun, and for Florida's Gulf Coast from Chokoloskee to the mouth of the Suwanee River, including Tampa Bay, and for Dry Tortugas.

Forecasters warned of an 8- to 12-foot storm surge (2.4 to 3.6 meters) in Tampa Bay. A storm surge watch was in effect for Florida's Gulf Coast from Flamingo northward to the mouth of the Suwannee River, including Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay. A tropical storm warning was issued in Mexico from Rio Lagartos to Cancun and from Campeche to south of Celestun.

A tropical storm watch was in effect for Florida's Gulf coast from Flamingo to south of Chokoloskee and from north of the mouth of the Suwanee River to Indian Pass, and for the Florida Keys, including Florida Bay.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Sunday that while it remains to be seen where Milton will strike, it’s clear the state is going to be hit hard.

“You have time to prepare — all day today, all day Monday, probably all day Tuesday to be sure your hurricane preparedness plan is in place,” DeSantis said. “If you’re on that west coast of Florida, barrier islands, just assume you’ll be asked to leave.”

About 7 million people were urged to evacuate Florida in 2017 as Hurricane Irma bore down. The exodus jammed freeways, led to long lines at gas stations and left evacuees in some cases vowing never to evacuate again.

Building on lessons learned during Irma and other previous storms, Florida is staging emergency fuel for gas vehicles and charging stations for electric vehicles along evacuation routes, Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said Sunday.

“We are preparing ... for the largest evacuation that we have seen, most likely since 2017, Hurricane Irma,” Guthrie said.

The Tampa Bay area is still cleaning up extensive damage from Helene and its powerful surge. Twelve people perished as Helene swamped the coast, with the worst damage along the narrow, 20-mile (32-kilometer) string of barrier islands that stretch from St. Petersburg to Clearwater.

DeSantis expanded his state of emergency declaration Sunday to 51 counties and said Floridians should prepare for more power outages and disruption, making sure they have a week’s worth of food and water and are ready to hit the road.

People who live in homes built after Florida strengthened codes in 2004, who don’t depend on constant electricity and who aren’t in evacuation zones should probably avoid the roads, Guthrie said.

All classes and school activities in Pinellas County, home to St. Petersburg, closed preemptively Monday through Wednesday. Officials in Tampa freed all city garages to residents hoping to protect their cars from flooding, including electric vehicles. The vehicles must be left on the third floor or higher in each garage.

As many as 4,000 National Guard troops are helping state crews to remove debris, DeSantis said, and he directed Florida crews dispatched to North Carolina in Helene’s aftermath to return in preparation for Milton.

When Milton achieved hurricane status, it marked the first time there have been three hurricanes swirling simultaneously in the Atlantic, said Colorado State University hurricane scientist Phil Klotzbach. Hurricanes Leslie and Kirk were far out at sea and not immediately threatening land.

This satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration taken at 11:36pm ET on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, shows Hurricane Milton. (NOAA via AP)