As Hurricane Milton threatens the Gulf Coast, local officials are warning Miamians about the potential for heavy rain, flooding and tropical storm-force winds beginning Tuesday night. The big picture: Milton strengthened "explosively" into a Category 5 storm Monday.

Although Miami-Dade County is outside the forecast cone for Hurricane Milton, conditions across South Florida are expected to worsen this week.

Before his noontime segment on NBC-6, chief meteorologist John Morales was checking the live tracking radar and appeared to get emotional about the storm’s magnitude. Milton is expected to hit Florida’s Gulf Coast this week, pushing up to 12 feet of devastating storm surge when it makes landfall.