Bucs flee Tampa as Hurricane Milton intensifies in Gulf of Mexico

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Hurricane Milton intensified in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday and officials in Florida sounded the alarm to residents on the coast that they should start evacuating the area.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers followed suit.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield walks off after the team lost to the Falcons in overtime on Oct. 3, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

The team announced they were leaving the area with the storm bearing down on the area just weeks after Hurricane Helene tore through the region. The Buccaneers said they will head for the New Orleans area.

"In advance of Hurricane Milton’s expected landfall, the Buccaneers will depart Tampa on Tuesday morning," the team said. "The team will relocate operations to the New Orleans area for the remainder of the week leading up to Sunday’s game at the Saints. Media availabilities will be conducted virtually beginning on Wednesday."

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Contractors help clear debris left by Hurricane Helene in preparation for Hurricane Milton on Oct. 7, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

Mandatory evacuations were underway on the west coast of the state. Milton strengthened into a powerful Category 5 hurricane. Hurricane watches stretched from along the Florida Gulf Coast from Chokoloskee to the mouth of the Suwanee River, including Tampa Bay, according to Fox Weather.

The Florida Keys, as well from Flamingo to south of Chokoloskee and north of the mouth of the Suwanee River