Highways grew clogged, gas stations were running out of fuel and stores were stripped of necessities as Hurricane Milton roared toward Florida's beleaguered west coast on Wednesday, a "catastrophic" behemoth on a collision course with one of the state's most densely populated areas.

Hurricane Milton remains a ferocious storm that could land a once-in-a-century direct hit on Tampa and St. Petersburg, engulfing the populous region with towering storm surges and turning debris from

Officials have urged people to plan their evacuation routes carefully, with several major bridges in the Tampa Bay area set to close on Wednesday as Hurricane Milton barrels towards Florida's west coast.