Hurricane Milton has once again strengthened to a Category 5 storm as it heads toward the Florida coastline, the US National Hurricane Center announced on Tuesday afternoon, according to The Associated Press . The hurricane had been downgraded to a Category 4, but Milton's wind speeds have since surged back past the Category 5 threshold. As of 5:00 p.m. EDT, the storm was located approximately 480 miles from Tampa, with sustained wind speeds of 165 mph, according to the hurricane center. Storm surge and hurricane warnings have been extended along the east coasts of Florida and Georgia by the hurricane center. Earlier in the day, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis pledged to continue round-the-clock debris removal from Hurricane Helene, stating efforts would persist until it was no longer safe, as Hurricane Milton draws closer. During a Tuesday afternoon briefing in Ocala, DeSantis shared that the Florida Department of Transportation crews had cleared over 1,300 truckloads of debris in just over two days, a figure he described as “a huge, huge amount.” The governor emphasized the importance of the cleanup in reducing further damage to communities. “We’ve made a huge dent in this,” DeSantis said, as quoted by AP . “The more debris we can get picked up, the less damage that’s going to happen, whether that’s floating into the Gulf of Mexico, whether it’s projectiles that go into other buildings.” Meanwhile, on Tuesday afternoon, the Florida Highway Patrol reported “heavy traffic patterns are flowing northbound and eastbound on all roadways” as residents continue to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Milton’s arrival. Related articles: Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida Hurricane Idalia weakens to tropical storm after hitting Florida DeSantis: No confirmed deaths from Hurrican Idalia At least 270,000 without power from Hurricane Idalia “For those wishing to evacuate, the time is now,” the agency advised in a statement. “Otherwise, finalize your storm preparations now.” Troopers continued to escort fuel tankers to ensure gasoline deliveries on Tuesday. The agency also noted that all bridges in the Tampa Bay area would be closed once wind speeds consistently reach 45 mph or higher, or when road conditions are deemed unsafe for public travel.