'Catastrophic'hurricane approaches Florida

TAMPA, Oct 09 (AFP): A "catastrophic" Hurricane Milton was closing in on the storm-battered state of Florida on Wednesday as US officials pleaded with residents to flee or risk dying.

President Joe Biden warned that the Category 5 storm could be the worst natural disaster to hit the state in a century.

As the second huge hurricane in as many weeks rumbled toward Florida's west coast, people raced to board up homes and flee.

"It's a matter of life and death, and that's not hyperbole," Biden said from the White House on Tuesday, urging those under orders to leave to "evacuate now, now, now."

By Wednesday morning (0900 GMT) Milton was located 300 miles (485 km) southwest of Tampa, generating maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (260 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

"Milton remains a catastrophic Category 5 Hurricane," said the NHC, forecasting the storm to make landfall on the Florida Gulf coast late Wednesday night.