Hurricane Milton is now a strong Category 5 hurricane, topping the scale of categories with winds of 175 mph. Category 5 hurricanes must have winds at 155 mph or greater. The National Hurricane Center updated Milton’s category at 10:55 a.

The last time the eye of a major storm like Hurricane Milton directly struck Tampa Bay was 1921 when the city was a sleepy backwater.

In September, Hurricane Helene shut down Tampa’s airport and delayed dozens of flights in Miami and Fort Lauderdale. The airport in Tampa also is closing Tuesday morning for Milton. Milton could have a similar effect across the state this week.