WATCH LIVE: Track Hurricane Milton’s path through Florida

Hurricane Milton, on track to become one of the strongest hurricanes in the history of the Western Hemisphere, is set to make landfall in the Tampa Bay area of Florida this week.

The hurricane, which has been gaining in speed and intensity over the Gulf of Mexico, restrengthened to Category 5 status Tuesday afternoon and will likely drop back down to a Category 1 by Thursday night. The National Hurricane Center said Milton should make landfall as an “extremely dangerous hurricane” Wednesday night.

As thousands of Floridians plan to evacuate dangerous area, airports around the state have canceled hundreds of flights or closed altogether. Gas stations have been struggling to keep up with consumer demand but Gov. Ron DeSantis has assured residents there would be enough gasoline to fuel their cars if they intend to evacuate.

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge, which sees nearly 11.3 million vehicles per year, on Interstate 275 through St. Petersburg saw a constant flow of traffic all day Tuesday as motorists made their way out of the storm’s path.