Palm Beach County is under a tropical storm warning through Thursday and a tornado watch through 9 p.m. Wednesday. County officials issued evacuation orders Tuesday for residents living in Zone A — made up of low-lying inland areas not necessarily along the coast — as the state braces for the landfall.

Forecasters are urging people in Florida to make preparations or leave their homes today, as the National Hurricane Center confirmed that Milton is a "catastrophic Category 5 hurricane" and will hit Florida later today or early tomorrow as a major storm.