Hurricane Milton dropped to a Category 4 earlier today as it churned toward Florida’s west coast.

The National Hurricane Center predicts that it will likely weaken further but still remain a major storm when it makes landfall.

The Tampa Bay area, home to more than 3.3 million people, faced the possibility of widespread destruction after avoiding direct hits from major hurricanes for more than a century.

U.S. President Joe Biden, along with the Vice President and top federal officials, warned that Milton could cause historic devastation.