Steady rain fell and winds began to gust in the Tampa Bay area Wednesday morning as a mighty Hurricane Milton churned toward a potentially catastrophic collision with the west coast of Florida, where some residents insisted they would stay even after millions were ordered to evacuate.

The time to evacuate is rapidly running out as mighty Hurricane Milton churns toward a potentially catastrophic collision with Florida.

Hurricane Milton churned Wednesday toward a potentially catastrophic collision along the west coast of Florida, where some residents insisted they would stay after millions were ordered to evacuate and officials warned that stragglers would face grim odds of surviving.

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister encourages Floridians to evacuate or find shelter and be prepared for the impact of Hurricane Milton.

Hurricane Milton is barreling across the Gulf of Mexico as a "catastrophic Category 5" storm on a path toward Florida's central west coast, forecasters say.