Florida residents are being encouraged to shelter in place, as hazards such as storm surges, tornadoes and high winds and flash flood warnings were extended into early Thursday morning.

In spite of the very real threat to their homes, belongings and livelihoods, many Floridians in Milton's potential path remained in good spirits hours before its expected landfall.

As of Tuesday morning, Hurricane Milton was just over 500 miles southwest of Tampa, Fla, and expected to make landfall late Wednesday night.

What might sound like silly logic has become one of the most reliable ways for Southerners and even federal officials to gauge a storm's severity and identify communities most in need of immediate aid. The Waffle House Index was created by a federal emergency management official and is still used today.

Gov. Brian Kemp issued a state of emergency Tuesday for 38 Georgia counties likely to be affected by Hurricane Milton.

On Tuesday in Macon, families made their way to the center of the state — and hoped the best for the Florida communities they left behind. 

The National Hurricane Center predicts the storm surge could get as high as 15 feet in some places, and rainfall totals could reach 18 inches.

Communities along Florida's west coast are bracing for a life-threatening storm. Many residents are taking Milton very seriously, heeding calls to evacuate to higher ground. Others are staying put.

State officials say Milton could be one of the largest storm evacuations from Florida since Irma in 2017. What do Floridians leaving the state and coming our way need to know? 

Communities in Florida are bracing for the impact of Hurricane Milton, which quickly went intensified from a tropical storm to a powerful, life-threatening hurricane much faster than predicted.

Debris and saturated ground from Hurricane Helene could make Georgia more vulnerable to Milton.

Milton grew quickly into a Category 5 storm Monday morning and is forecast to make landfall in Florida midweek. The state could see its largest evacuation orders since 2017.

Storm surge is a bigger killer than wind when a major hurricane hits shore. The areas in the path of Hurricane Helene are more susceptible to surge than other parts of Florida's coast.

Helene is poised to make landfall on Florida's Big Bend late Thursday. Forecasters warn that the unusually large storm will bring heavy rain and wind as far inland as the Appalachians and Atlanta.

People with disabilities, people who can't afford it and people who don't want to abandon their pets are among the many who can't easily get up and leave before a hurricane.