For the latest updates on Hurricane Milton's path and projected landfall, read USA TODAY's live hurricane coverage for Wednesday, Oct. 9. TAMPA, Fla. − Hurricane Milton regained Category 5 strength Tuesday as it barreled across the Gulf of Mexico toward the Florida Peninsula,

Hurricane Milton has become a Category 5 storm—again—and is moving across the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida, where millions have been told to evacuate as forecasters warn it could be be “one of the most destructive hurricanes on record” for the west-central part of the state.