THE tropical storm india it is expected that it will be strengthened and will turn into a threatening typhoon as it moves toward the Florida coast in the Gulf of Mexico, where authorities are urging millions of residents to prepare to evacuate ahead of its arrival early Wednesday morning local time.

Italy, accompanied by winds of 105 km/h, was this afternoon about 150 kilometers west of Cuba and moving north at about 12 km/h, according to the National Hurricane Center bulletin. It is estimated that up to 20 million Floridians could be affected by this extreme weather event.

Italia is forecast to be a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale when it reaches Florida’s Big Bend region. State Governor Ron DeSandis, in a press conference he gave, called on all residents to prepare. “This is a big hurricane. It will be a powerful hurricane and it will definitely affect the state of Florida,” he stressed.

Local officials are already preparing to issue evacuation orders, the governor added, also noting that power outages are likely. “Remember, if they tell you to leave, you don’t have to drive hundreds of miles, you don’t have to leave the state. You just have to move to higher altitude terrain,” DeSandis said.

Some schools are expected to suspend classes.

Torrential rain is forecast for the Florida Gulf Coast, southeast Georgia, and eastern North and South Carolina tomorrow Tuesday.

Like many coastal communities, the city of Bradenton called on its 55,000 residents to be on alert. “Let’s be prepared – secure items that can be blown away, fill up your car tank, carry cash and bottled water,” the municipality said in a post on Platform X.

In other communities, such as Hillsborough, authorities are setting up shelters where residents can be accommodated.

DeSandis has put 46 Florida counties on alert, meaning most of the north of the state. 5,500 members of the National Guard and dozens of vehicles and aircraft have also been mobilized for search and rescue operations. In addition to the thousands of workers who will make sure power is quickly restored after the hurricane passes, the state has also secured about 11.5 million liters of drinking water and 1.5 million meals for people who will need help, DeSandis said.