First Thing: The scramble to flee Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton

Ahead of the expected landfall of Hurricane Milton, a heavy stream of traffic slowly moves southward from north-west Florida on Interstate 75, in Naples, Florida. Photograph: Cristóbal Herrera/EPA

Good morning.

Hurricane Milton is barrelling toward Florida’s west coast and is expected to make landfall as early as Wednesday night. An estimated 6 million people across 11 counties in Florida are now under mandatory evacuation orders, with time running out to make preparations. “If you choose to stay … you are going to die,” said the Tampa mayor, Jane Castor.