Hurricane Helene came ashore some 150 miles (240 kilometers) away from Tampa in the Florida Panhandle and still managed to cause drowning deaths in the Tampa area due to surges of around 5 to 8 feet (1.5 to 2.5 meters) above normal tide levels.

Traffic was thick as evacuees fled in advance of Hurricane Milton. Crews are also hurrying to clear debris left by Helene.

Hurricane Milton was expected to grow larger as it threatened Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula on its way to Florida, where more than a million people were ordered to evacuate from its path. Follow the storm.