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.

Officials in Tampa urged residents to move electric vehicles, including e-bikes, wheelchairs and golf carts, out of the way of storm surge and floodwaters. They warned that electric vehicles had caused three dozen fires in Hillsborough County, where Tampa is, during Hurricane Helene last month.

Hurricane Milton strengthens to a Category 5 storm, posing a major threat to Florida's coast. Get the latest updates on its path.