Milton was tracking across the Gulf of Mexico bound for what could be a devastating crash along Florida's already storm-battered western coast.

Stores across the central Florida region saw runs on bottled water, flashlights, and generators. Long lines of vehicles jockeyed for sand and sandbags — scarce, in some places that offered

As Hurricane Milton approaches Florida’s west coast, many are wondering how powerful a storm can become. Discover more about the official hurricane scale here.