Hurricane Milton strengthened as it churned through the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida on Tuesday and could wallop one of the state’s major population centers with huge storm surges, lashing rain and destructive winds just two weeks after deadly Hurricane Helene swamped the coastline.

CLIMATEWIRE | As Florida prepares for Hurricane Milton’s violent winds and massive flooding, the state also is contending with a unique danger — debris left by Hurricane Helene that officials fear will become lethal or damaging missiles.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said earlier this week that more power outages were expected than the state experienced with Hurricane Helene.