Flooding amid storm surges and heavy rains is a key concern when any hurricane strikes, but Florida is now particularly vulnerable. Protective sand dunes washed away by Hurricane Helene mean that there are fewer defenses than before, while the ground is already saturated in some areas.

Hurricane Milton intensified into a Category 4 Hurricane over the Gulf of Mexico early Monday as it barreled toward the Florida Gulf coast, less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene left devastating flooding across parts of the southeastern U.S.