Just days after Hurricane Helene caused more than 200 deaths and widespread devastation in several states, Hurricane Milton is expected to reach the United States.

But what do we know so far about the hurricane and what does it mean for the people in its path?

Where is the hurricane now and when will it hit the US?

Milton is currently heading to the United States at 9 mph (14 km/h), sucking energy from the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Wind speeds of up to 200 km/h are expected when it reaches the coast Tampa Bay area on the west coast of Florida on Wednesday.

The region, home to more than three million people, has not been directly hit by a major hurricane in more than a century.

The storm also threatens Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, where more than a million people have been ordered to evacuate.

On the other hand, scientists expect Milton to weaken slightly before landfall and that its path through central Florida will spare the states devastated by Helene less than two weeks ago.

What is the storm surge warning?

As of Tuesday morning, Tampa Bay is under both a hurricane warning and a storm surge warning, as the National Hurricane Center (NHC) predicts it could be inundated with storm surges of between three and four meters.

The NHC said the storm surge would peak between the Anclote River and Englewood, a roughly 100-mile stretch that includes Tampa and various islands and keys.

“The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the high tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be inundated by rising water flowing inland from the coast,” it said in an update.

What measures are being taken to protect residents?

Hundreds of thousands of residents in communities along the western Gulf Coast were evacuated.

In Florida, that means first responders are not expected to risk their lives during a storm to save someone who wants to stay.

“If you stay there, you could die, and my men and women could die trying to save you,” Hillsborough Fire Department Chief Jason Dougherty said.

There was significant traffic congestion Monday as Tampa Bay residents fled to safer areas north toward the Florida Panhandle or southeast to Fort Lauderdale and Miami.

President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Florida and U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor said 7,000 federal employees were on site to help with one of the largest mobilizations of federal personnel in history.

“This is the real deal here with Milton,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said at a news conference Monday. “If you want to take on Mother Nature, she wins 100% of the time.”

How strong is Hurricane Milton?

Milton was downgraded to a Category 4 hurricane this morning, but forecasters said it still posed “an extremely serious threat to Florida.”

The storm quickly intensified on Monday, becoming a Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph (285 km/h) in the afternoon before being downgraded.

The strongest Atlantic hurricane ever was Allen in 1980, which reached winds of 190 mph (306 km/h) as it passed through the Caribbean and the Gulf before hitting Texas and Mexico.

According to the US National Hurricane Center, Milton was the third-fastest storm ever in the Atlantic Ocean, and its west-to-east path was also unusual, as Gulf hurricanes typically form in the Caribbean and after traveling west and turning Country meets north.

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Didn't the US just have a hurricane?

Yes, the area Hurricane Milton is expected to hit has already been devastated Hurricane Helene just 12 days ago.

Helene, which also affected Georgia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Kentucky, killed at least 230 people and caused devastating flooding and destruction.