Tampa, Florida | Hurricane Milton has churned toward a potentially catastrophic collision along Florida’s coast, where some residents have insisted on staying after millions were ordered to evacuate and officials warned that stragglers face grim odds of surviving.

With more than 1 million people in coastal areas under evacuation orders, those fleeing for higher ground clogged highways and petrol stations ran out of fuel, further rattling a region still recovering from the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene less than two weeks ago.

Reuters and AP