Florida's west coast braces for another major weather event as Hurricane Milton is set to make landfall on Wednesday, shortly after the region's encounter with Hurricane Helene. Axios senior climate reporter Andrew Freedman joins Catalysts to discuss the impending storm.

Freedman describes Hurricane Milton as a potential Category 3 storm, projecting it to be "the strongest landfall direct hit" in over a century. He characterizes the situation as "dire," noting there's "no analog" for west coast residents to compare it to. Milton could bring storm surges of 10 to 15 feet and may peak at Category 5 intensity, potentially becoming the fifth strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean. Freedman adds that the storm is "expanding in size over time."

The reporter estimates that a storm of this magnitude could cause approximately $5 billion in damage if it hits the Tampa Bay area as projected.

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This post was written by Angel Smith