Milton rapidly intensified to a Category 5 hurricane late Monday morning.
Within hours, Milton strengthened to a Category 2, then a Category 3, then a Category 4 and finally a Category 5.
Milton now ranks as the third-greatest 24-hour wind speed intensification for a hurricane in the Atlantic Basin. (Records are based on data since the satellite era began in the 1960s.)
NOAA changed Milton's heading on Hurricanes.gov to plead with people to listen to evacuation orders.
We'll all be very happy to feel silly if this doesn't go the way it looks like it's going to go. But please for the love of humanity get out of the way of this thing.
I was listening to a live stream with a couple meteorologists explaining everything. they were fairly jovial and laid back seeming guys but at one point, one of them got a deadly serious tone to his voice and started talking about how this one can't be rode out, can't be survived.
I'm not sure NOA is responsible for evacuation orders, IIRC they advise state and local governments on who should evacuate and it's up to the local government to coordinate and reach out to their populations.