Hurricane Milton is expected to be so ferocious it will cover nearly every beach on Florida’s west coast — and forever change the Sunshine State’s coastline, experts have warned.

At least 95% of Florida’s west coast beaches are forecast to be inundated — or continuously covered by ocean water — when the hurricane, predicted to be one of the strongest ever, is expected to make landfall Wednesday as many still recover from Helene, the US Geological Survey

“This is the most severe level of coastal change,” the federal agency warned — while saying that “Milton’s waves and surge” could cause “erosion and overwash” to 100% of the state’s beaches.

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A passenger plane carrying four men and a dog crashed into Tampa Bay while evacuating Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton on Tuesday.

The private Cherokee plane experienced engine failure while taking off from Albert Whitted Airport in downtown St. Petersburg, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

The aircraft crashed 300 yards away off St. Pete Pier in the Tampa Bay area and sank into the water around 10:50 a.m., the outlet added.

A good Samaritan operating a boat arrived and rescued the passengers — whose ages range from 25 to 40 -- and the small dog about 500 feet offshore from the water.

A video posted on X by the US Coast Guard shows one of its Miami-based aircrews arriving on a boat to assist in rescuing the passengers and pup.

Floridians in the line of Hurricane Milton's wrath are set to impose county- and city-implemented curfews as the "dangerous" Category 5 storm barrels toward Florida's west coast Wednesday.

Several municipalities in the area where Milton is expected to make landfall, including Tampa, have already issued mandatory evacuations as officials fear the worst of the storm, which is expected to bring 6 to 12 inches of rain and 10 to 15 feet of storm surge to certain areas.

The town of Fort Myers Beach implemented a "24-hour daily general curfew" at 10 p.m. Tuesday, the town's X page posted.

Lee County, where Fort Myers Beach is located, put into effect mandatory evacuations for the two "zones" on or next to the coast.

The county also restricted access to Sanibel Island Tuesday night.

Naples, just south of Fort Myers Beach, faces a curfew starting at 4 p.m. due to the "anticipated heavy rainfall, 3-foot-high tides," the city announced on its website.

East coast counties including Flagler and Volusia will implement curfews at 7 and 8 this evening, respectively. Both curfews will last for 24 hours through Thursday evening.

Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall late Wednesday along the west-central coast of Florida as a "dangerous major hurricane," the National Hurricane Center said early Wednesday.

The Category 5 storm was located in the Gulf of Mexico, 360 miles southwest of Tampa, at 2 a.m., traveling northeast at 12 mph.

Maximum sustained winds were at 160 mph as officials predicted 6 to 12 inches of rain across the northern portion of the state's peninsula with 18 inches estimated in localized areas.

Hurricane-force winds are extending up to 30 miles outward as tropical-storm-force winds were up to 140 miles outward.

The minimal central pressure of Milton was estimated at 914mb. For reference, Hurricane Katrina's central pressure at landfall was 920mb.

Officials warned of the possibility of several tornados spawning from the storm in central and southern Florida through Thursday.

The areas from Egmont Key and Boca Grande along with Tampa Bay are expected to face storm surges as high as 10 to 15 feet, as points south of where the storm makes landfall will experience "large and dangerous" waves.

Years-old Weather Channel videos are recirculating online ahead of Hurricane Milton’s landfall as the clips demonstrate the potentially devastating effects of the Category 5 hurricane.

The two videos provide 3D models of the damage that results from destructive winds and storm surges associated with powerful hurricanes.

Milton is expected to batter the Gulf Coast of Florida with winds of 160 mph and a storm surge of up to 15 feet — bringing possible once-in-a-century damage to western areas between Tampa and Sarasota.

Nearly six million Floridians have been ordered to evacuate or face possible death.

“If you choose to stay … you are going to die,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor bluntly warned residents on CNN, adding that a “literally catastrophic” hurricane was barreling toward the Sunshine State.

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While New York may not feel the weather impact of Hurricane Milton, all airports in the tri-state area were packed on Tuesday with Florida residents evacuating the state.

As reported by PIX 11, travelers coming in from the Sunshine State reported full flights from the few Florida airports still servicing passengers ahead of the hurricane.

“I don’t think we’re going to be able to make it through this next hurricane,” Haley Peterson, a medical student from Fort Myers, told the outlet. “There’s going to be a lot of damage.”

Milton reportedly regained strength on Tuesday as it barrels toward Florida as a Category 5 storm, with some calling for a new destination of Category 6 given its likely catastrophic outcome.

Tampa is the single most vulnerable city in the U.S. for hurricane storm surges, according to experts — because a mix of fatal factors collide in the city to create catastrophic conditions if it takes a direct hit from a major storm like the incoming Hurricane Milton.

About 50% of the more than 3 million people living around Tampa Bay reside at elevations less than 10 feet above sea level, a 2015 study from the disaster consultants Karen Clark and Co. found — meaning millions of homes will be severely flooded if Milton’s 15-foot storm surge comes to fruition.

The last time Tampa Bay was hit by a major hurricane was 1921, when just a few hundred people lived in sparsely developed backwater towns — and the community was still devastated, with ocean waves breaking in the middle of downtown Tampa and swaths of infrastructure being washed away.

And the area is practically tailor-made to create severe storm surges thanks to shallow depths in the bay and surrounding Gulf coast. Waves blown by heavy wind can “pile up” and create a deadly wall of water, MIT meteorology professor Kerry Emanuel told The Post.

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The Florida Aquarium in Tampa rushed to move its penguins to higher ground ahead of super storm Milton’s expected landfall on Florida’s West Coast. Nine penguins were moved from the first floor to shield the animals from storm surge and flooding. 

The Cockroach Bay area of Ruskin, Florida is a ghost town on Tuesday night. For the last two days, authorities have encouraged residents to evacuate the area. If they do not have a place to go, they can stay at a nearby fortified middle school.

But most residents are not putting up a fight. After hurricane Helene came through and ravage the area, bringing floodwaters into most of their homes, people seem ready to leave.

The northwest quadrant of Ruskin appeared to be the most heavily damaged. Almost every home has flood, damaged, carpets, drywall, furniture, and personal effects, stripped out and tossed in the front yards.

Most of the families have already evacuated. Some families, however, waited until today to pack up their cars and head out.

“It’s too risky to stay,” says resident Paul Delmolino, who was leaving with his wife, Lani. “I think anyone who is thinking straight would say that you’re a fool to stay in the path of this thing.”

Another woman, who identified herself only as “Judith,” tells the Post that she’s really worried about her home, and hopes that there aren’t looters.

“That can be a problem when everyone evacuates,” Judith says. “but it’s still just stuff.”

At the Middle School, few people had arrived by Tuesday afternoon, but officials tell the Post that they expect that more will arrive tonight and tomorrow. A spokesperson for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office says that the shelter opened 48 hours before landfall but most people arrive with less than 24 hours to spare.

Highways out of Florida were jammed with frightened motorists desperately trying to get themselves out of harm's way, and supermarkets and gas stations around the state experienced long lines as a crush of panic-stricken shoppers stocked up on food and fuel.

More than 1,000 Florida gas stations ran out of gas by Tuesday evening — including 45% of stations in the Tampa area.

Many people planning to fly out of the Sunshine State were forced to make other plans as airport closures in western and central Florida canceled hundreds of flights.

Tampa International Airport is currently closed, and St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport will shut down Wednesday and Thursday, as will Southwest Florida International Airport. Sarasota Bradenton International Airport closed Tuesday afternoon, and Orlando International Airport, located near the middle of the state, will close Wednesday.

Disney announced its theme parks will begin a phased closing plan starting Wednesday afternoon. Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom will close at 1 p.m., while Magic Kingdom, EPCOT and Disney Springs will shutter at 2 p.m.

Portions of Universal Orlando Resort will also be closed ahead of Milton's arrival. Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Universal CityWalk will be open until 2 p.m. Wednesday, but will close through Thursday. Universal Volcano Bay will be closed Wednesday and Thursday, the theme park giant announced.

Four people and a small dog were rescued after their plane crashed into Tampa Bay as they attempted to evacuate the Tampa area. 

The plane experienced engine failure shortly after takeoff at 11 a.m. from Albert Whitted Airport and crashed east of the St. Pete Pier soon after, according to Fox13.  

The passengers were treated at the scene and then sent to a local hospital.

Hurricane Milton has returned to Category 5 strength on Tuesday evening, picking up power as it barreled toward Florida's west coast and the Tampa Bay area.

The storm was recording 165 mph winds as of the National Hurricane Center’s 5 p.m. update, with pressure consistently dropping throughout the day.

Milton is predicted to make landfall late Wednesday, with current trajectory models suggesting it will land somewhere just south of Tampa Bay – but meteorologists caution it is still far too early to know exactly where it will make landfall.

The Tampa region could face storm surges up to 15 feet, with surge warnings stretching across nearly the entirety of Florida’s Gulf coast.

Surge warnings were also extended Tuesday to include parts of Florida’s Atlantic coast in the NHS’ update -- and have even been extended as far north as Georgia’s coast near Altamaha Sound.

Milton is expected to blow straight across Florida into the Atlantic, meaning almost the entire state will be struck by the hurricane.