Hurricane Milton updates: 16 dead across Florida in storm's aftermath

"We’ve never seen anything like this before," Tampa police chief Lee Bercaw warned Tuesday as Milton approaches. "This is the storm of the century."

Tampa Bay is forecast to face a record-breaking storm surge of 10 to 15 feet. That surge will rise above a single-story home, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor stressed.

"That’s the coffin that you’re in," she said at a news conference.

Castor said she spoke to President Joe Biden Monday night and relayed that the city’s most important need was getting household debris from Hurricane Helene "off of the street so that doesn’t become additional fuel for Hurricane Milton."

In Hillsborough County, which encompasses Tampa, more than 1,700 people were already in nine shelters as of Tuesday morning, county emergency management director Timothy Dudley Jr. said, adding that the facilities are prepared to take a lot more people.

"Don’t panic. You have time. Get somewhere safe," he said.

Milton could be one of Florida’s worst storms in 100 years, President Joe Biden warned while addressing the media on Tuesday.

Milton could not only enter Florida’s west coast as a hurricane but could still be hurricane-strength by the time it leaves Florida’s east coast, he said.

If you are under evacuation orders, leave now, Biden urged, stressing that it’s "a matter of life and death."

Biden has postponed his travel to Germany and Angola due to the hurricane. He was slated to leave on Thursday.

While preparing for Milton, the government is still "surging resources" in states impacted by Hurricane Helene, he said.

Biden said he spoke to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday.

"He said he's got all that he needs," Biden said, adding that he gave the governor his "personal phone number to call."

Biden also slammed individuals spreading misinformation around FEMA's response to Hurricane Helene, calling it "un-American."

8:12

Biden delivers remarks on federal preparation for Hurricane Milton

The president said that while preparing for Milton, the federal government is still "surging resources" in states impacted by Hurricane Helene.

ABCNews.com

The Florida Aquarium in Tampa is moving animals to the facility’s highest level ahead of Hurricane Milton.

During Hurricane Helene, the aquarium took on 3 feet of water along the wharf, marking the first time in the aquarium’s 30 years that water breached the wharf. With a bigger storm surge forecast for Milton, aquarium officials are expecting the first floor to take on water.

Usually aquarium staff members will stay with the animals to ride out a Category 1 or 2 hurricane. But because of the severity of Milton, all staff members will evacuate mid-day Wednesday and plan to return on

Hurricane warnings are in effect in Tampa, Fort Myers and Orlando as Hurricane Milton closes in.

Hurricane and storm surge warnings have now also been issued for parts of Florida’s east coast, including Daytona Beach, Cape Canaveral and Melbourne.

-ABC News’ Max Golembo