Biden urges Floridians in Milton's path to evacuate: "It's a matter of life or death"

The president of the United States, Joe Biden, warned residents of Florida that Milton could be the most devastating hurricane of the last century in the state, and urged them to evacuate to preserve life.

"I urge everyone in the path of Hurricane Milton to listen to local authorities and follow safety measures. If you are under evacuation orders, you must evacuate right now. You should have already evacuated. It's a matter of life or death, and it's not an exaggeration," highlighted Biden from the White House.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has also warned in its bulletin at 11:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that "today is the last day for Florida residents to prepare" or evacuate the areas likely to be affected by Milton.

"It could be the worst hurricane to hit Florida in over a century, and God willing, it won't be, but that seems to be the case right now," said the president, who canceled a trip to Germany and Angola to stay in the United States and coordinate emergency efforts.

The mayor of Tampa, Jane Castor, also issued a catastrophic announcement for the city's residents due to the proximity and dangers posed by the powerful hurricane, urging awareness of the need to evacuate to avoid loss of human lives.

"Helene was a wake-up call. This is literally catastrophic. I can say without exaggerating at all that if you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you are going to die," emphasized the official.

Currently, one of the largest evacuations of the west coast of Florida is underway.

Traffic reports indicated very congested traffic on Interstate 75, as people tried to get to safety.

Milton formed over the weekend and quickly intensified in the Gulf of Mexico, reaching category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

Although in the last few hours its intensity has decreased to category 4, it continues to be extremely dangerous.

It is expected to make landfall on Wednesday night near Tampa Bay, in Hillsborough County, on the west coast of Florida.

Authorities continue to urge residents to act quickly to protect their lives and properties, a week after Hurricane Hélene passed through the area, leaving over 200 dead in the country.

This is the most active hurricane season in the last 40 years in the Atlantic, according to forecasts from several U.S. entities.