Florida is readying for Hurricane Milton with photos depicting preparations and evacuations.

• Hurricane Milton is approaching, and local authorities have announced that Floridians must evacuate the storm surge area within a few hours.
• The western coast of the state is expected to be hit by the storm.
• Those affected by Hurricane Helene in Florida are now rushing to prepare or evacuate before the projected storm zones.

Floridians have until late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning to evacuate the storm surge area as Milton, a Category 4 hurricane, is projected to make landfall on the western coast of the state.

Nearly 16% of the state's gas stations, or about 1,200, have run out of fuel as people try to either leave the state or stock up for at-home generators, according to GasBuddy data.

Despite the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in late September, Floridians are still recovering and now rushing to prepare or evacuate ahead of the projected storm areas.

The Tampa metropolitan area is bracing for life-threatening storm surges, isolated tornadoes, and dangerous flooding from Hurricane Milton, with rain already falling and winds expected to increase Wednesday afternoon.

Tampa, Florida

Orlando, Florida

The Villages, Florida

Oakland Park, Florida

St. Petersburg, Florida

Fort Myers, Florida

CNBC's Danielle DeVries contributed to this report.