Hurricane Milton strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane Monday on a path toward Florida population centers, threatening a 12-foot storm surge in Tampa Bay and setting the stage for potential mass evacuations less than two weeks after a catastrophic Hurricane Helene swamped the coastline.

Lee County Public Safety Director Ben Abes announced Monday afternoon that the county is ordering a mandatory evacuation for zones A and B by Tuesday evening. Zones A and B include the county’s barrier islands of Fort Myers Beach,