"On the southwest coast, the area that we're most concerned about, the storm surges from Cape Sable to Captiva we could see eight to twelve feet of inundation. That's life threatening storm surge flooding", said Michael Brennan, Branch Chief of the Hurricane Specialists Unit of the National Hurricane Center.
"So anybody in the storm surge zones, that has been asked to evacuate by your local officials, please heed that advice and get out if you can".
It's really difficult when the storm is moving parallel to the coast if it shifts west or east just a little bit that could mean the difference between the storm making landfall in Naples or making landfall in Tampa. So everybody in that area along the West Coast in that hurricane warning area -- that goes all the way from Chassahowitzka with all the way down to the Keys-- has to be prepared for the core of a major hurricane to move over them. Either starting in the Keys tonight and then or during the day or evening on Sunday. So everybody has to be prepared and get ready for that possibility.