Video shows the Tampa Bay Rays’ home field filled with rows of empty green camp beds amid preparations for the powerful storm, which is poised to wreak further havoc on a region still recovering from Helene . While Milton weakened slightly Tuesday, the Category 4 storm remained extremely powerful and could double in size before hitting west-central Florida late Wednesday.

Florida officials have urged residents in the Milton area to evacuate or otherwise make plans to stay safe from the life-threatening storm, which is expected to include damaging winds and heavy rainfall.

“Time is running out,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a briefing Tuesday. “There is no guarantee what the weather will be like starting Wednesday morning… You may have a window where it may be safe, but it may not be. So use today as your day to finalize and implement the plan that will protect you and your family.”

‘Time is running out’: Florida is preparing for Hurricane Milton. Live updates

Video shows Tropicana Field converted into base camp

St. Petersburg, Florida, fills stadium with cots ahead of Hurricane Milton

The home of the Tampa Bay Rays is now set up as a 10,000-person “base camp” for operations and first responders as the area braces for Milton.

As the storm barrels toward Florida, DeSantis announced Monday that Tropicana Field would be designated by the Florida Division of Emergency Management as a 10,000-person base camp for debris removal operations and first responders.

The domed stadium has been home to the Tampa Bay Rays since the team’s inaugural season in 1998, although there are plans to replace it in 2028. It is one of the smallest MLB stadiums in terms of seating capacity, but Tropicana Field has a sloped roof that is designed at a partial angle to better protect it from hurricanes.

Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall on Wednesday

Milton intensified rapidly on Monday, with sustained winds of up to 300 kilometers per hour, before weakening slightly early Tuesday.

However, wind speeds were still 150 miles per hour, making the hurricane a severe Category 4 storm. Fluctuations in the storm’s strength were expected as it approaches the coast, John Cangialosi, a specialist with the National Hurricane Center, said in an update Tuesday.

While it could potentially become a Category 3 hurricane before landfall, “Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida,” Cangialosi warned.

As of Tuesday morning, Milton was about 530 miles southwest of Tampa, traveling east to northeast at 12 miles per hour.

Centrally, northern portions of the Florida peninsula can expect 2 to 7 inches of rainfall through Thursday, the hurricane center said.

Contributors: John Bacon, Trevor Hughes, Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY

Eric Lagatta covers the latest and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]