Live coverage: Tracking Hurricane Milton.

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Lee County is bracing for any impact from Hurricane Milton. Milton strengthened into a hurricane Sunday afternoon. Landfall somewhere along Florida's west coast, although it is too early to tell if that will mean SW FL or elsewhere. The expectations are significant storm surge in coastal areas, wind, rain and along with it flooding and power outages in the region.

This is continues to be developing story and our reporters and photographers are providing coverage from different locations in Lee County again today, contributing the latest updates on flooding, damage, power outages, and what you need to know.

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FGCU students received an email Sunday afternoon saying all residence halls must be evacuated by 2 p.m. Tuesday. Students will not be allowed to return to their rooms "until further notice." The university urged students to return home, go to an off-campus location, if possible, or to "evacuate to Alico Arena."

Fort Myer Beach Council to residents: Time to evacuate
From reporter Amy Williams:

Fort Myers Beach announced evacuations and declared a state of emergency as Hurricane Milton bore down on Estero Island. It’s the fifth such order since 2022 when Hurricane Ian smashed the town, which is still in recovery mode.

Councilors met Sunday afternoon to discuss the storm, which is expected to arrive as a dangerous Category 3. In cooperation with Lee County, said Town Manager Andy Hyatt, residents should be off the island by 3 p.m. Monday.

Sandbags will be available for Estero Island residents only until Monday afternoon at a pile across from town hall.

But once properties are buttoned up, people should leave, he said. “This storm has a lot of unknowns … right now the cone is still the entire west coast of Florida (and) we don’t know what we don’t know.”

Sanibel declares 'local state of emergency' for Milton
Amy Williams reports that Sanibel Mayor Richard Johnson placed Sanibel under a local state of emergency in addition to one already in place for Hurricane Ian, and another issued Saturday by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.”