Tropical Storm Milton rapidly intensified into a Category 1 hurricane Sunday with its path aimed at Florida, less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene struck the state.

The hurricane is expected to make landfall on the state's west coast on Wednesday, federal forecasters said.

The storm debuted as a hurricane Sunday afternoon after producing sustained winds of 80 mph and continued to strengthen by drawing fuel from the Gulf of Mexico’s sultry waters.

Forecasters said Milton was likely to reach major-hurricane status, denoting a Category 3, 4, or 5 storm, on Monday. It would take a minimum of sustained 111 mph winds to make the storm a Category 3.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a news briefing Sunday that Milton is expected to make landfall in Hillsborough or Pinellas county Wednesday evening. He preemptively issued an emergency declaration for 51 counties, including the Tampa Bay peninsula of Pinellas County.

As of 5 p.m. E.T. Sunday, Milton was about 275 miles west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico, and 805 miles west-southwest of Tampa. It was pushing out maximum sustained winds estimated to be 85 mph, with some higher gusts, the hurricane center said, and moving east at 7 mph.

“On the forecast track, Milton is forecast to move just north of the Yucatán Peninsula and across the southern Gulf of Mexico Monday and Tuesday and approach the west coast of the Florida Peninsula by Wednesday,” the hurricane center said.

Voluntary and mandatory evacuations will likely be issued in “a number of communities,” most likely including the barrier islands, DeSantis said. A mandatory evacuation of Anna Maria Island will be ordered on Monday afternoon, according to officials.

A 24/7 effort to clean up debris left over from Helene is underway in the state in anticipation for Milton, according to DeSantis. Milton's potential impacts, which include damaging winds and storm surge, could accentuate an already bad situation, he said.

The Florida Department of Transportation said clean up crews are working around the clock to clear debris. Earlier Sunday, about 150 dump trucks and 45 other vehicles assisted the effort.

The new hurricane status Sunday meant that watches and warnings on rain, wind and storm surges were in effect for much of the west coast of Florida less than two weeks after Helene rampaged through the Southeast.

Five to 10 inches of rain, with up to 15 inches in some areas, is expected across parts of the Florida Peninsula and parts of the Florida Keys through Wednesday night, and with it the possibility of flash flooding and moderate to major river flooding.

The system may produce rainfall of 2 to 4 inches across portions of the northern Yucatán Peninsula as well, where storm surge may raise water levels by 2 to 4 feet above ground level, the hurricane center said. "Large and destructive waves" can be expected near the coast.

A hurricane watch was in effect for the northern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula, from Celestun to Cabo Catoche. A tropical storm warning is also in place from Celestun to Cancun.

The hurricane center is warning those in these areas, as well as in the Florida Peninsula, the Florida Keys and the Bahamas, to closely monitor this system for any potential impacts.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava declared a local state of emergency out of caution ahead of Milton’s arrival, she said on X.

School districts in Pasco, Sarasota and Hillsborough counties announced that schools will be closed from Monday to Tuesday due to the incoming hurricane.

Pictures from a Walmart in Bradenton showed shelves of toilet paper, paper towels and water completely cleared out.

Video on social media showed a family in Port Charlotte preparing their home for the incoming hurricane by installing storm shutters to their patio door.

Since 1850, only two storms that originated in the Gulf’s Bay of Campeche have struck Florida. If Milton follows its current path, it would be the third.

It’s been 10 days since Helene made landfall on Sept. 26 along Florida’s Big Bend coast after sweeping north through the Gulf, causing a dozen deaths in Pinellas County, and damaging or destroying homes and businesses in the Tampa Bay area.

Twenty-five Helene-related fatalities have been reported statewide, while at least 234 people across six states have died as a result of the storm.