CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) - As many across Florida and the southeast continue to try and clean up after Hurricane Helene, another major hurricane is heading towards Florida.  Hurricane Milton explodes to Category 4 as Florida prepares for massive evacuations Less than 10 days after Hurricane Helene made landfall on the Florida panhandle as a Category 4 hurricane, the state is bracing for another major impact. Hurricane Milton is rapidly gaining strength in the Gulf of Mexico and is already a major hurricane with winds of over 120 mph.  Milton is expected to reach Category 4 or even 5 strength with winds of over 150 mph by Tuesday. The National Hurricane Center has already issued Hurricane watches for the Florida Gulf Coast which includes Tampa Bay which could see a direct impact from Hurricane Milton when it makes landfall in Florida late Wednesday evening/night.  Track Hurricane Milton Live When it comes to hurricanes, the most dangerous and deadly impacts are seen from storm surges. Areas such as Tampa Bay, Port Charlotte, Fort Myers, and Naples could see over 9 feet in storm surge. The National Hurricane Center currently has 8-12 feet of storm surge for Tampa Bay. When it comes to rainfall, areas across the Florida peninsula such as Tampa Bay, Orlando, and Daytona Beach could see over six inches of rain with some areas seeing up to a foot in rainfall.  Wind and flood impacts will be major and evacuation orders are already underway for coastal communities.  Once Hurricane Milton impacts Florida, it will move into the open Atlantic. There will be no impacts felt in western Massachusetts.  Weather News Are hurricanes intensifying more rapidly than ever before? TRACK LIVE: When is Hurricane Milton going to hit Florida Milton rockets to a Category 5 hurricane and sets sights on Florida Tropical Storm Milton forms in the Gulf, NHC says Chris Bouzakis is a meteorologist who has been a part of the 22News team since 2021. Follow Chris on X @ChrisBouzakis and view his bio to see more of his work.