As Florida continues to recover from Hurricane Helene, Tropical Storm Milton has formed in the Gulf of Mexico, expected to intensify into a major hurricane. FEMA and state authorities are preparing for significant storm surge and heavy rainfall.

The US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that Helene was expected to pass the north-eastern Mexican coast of Yucatán in the coming hours and hit Florida late on Thursday local time. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for almost all of the state's counties.