Florida could see a Category 2 hurricane hit next week, bringing surge and high winds to the recovering west coast and serious flood risks to South and Central Florida. The National Hurricane Center’s first cone of uncertainty for Tropical Depression 10 puts it on an eastward path through the Gulf of Mexico and into Florida’s west coast on Wednesday — a second blow for a region still catching its breath from the devastating Category 4 Hurricane Helene.

Tropical Storm Milton formed in the Gulf of Mexico Saturday afternoon and is now expected to rapidly strengthen into a major hurricane before making landfall on Florida’s west coast. Moisture ahead of the “intense hurricane” will begin to impact Florida late this weekend before Milton arrives next week,