Deanne Criswell, administrator of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, on Wednesday added to the chorus of dire warnings about Hurricane Milton as it approaches Florida’s west coast, saying, “This is going to be a difficult day.”

“Milton is going to be a deadly and catastrophic storm,” Criswell said in a virtual news briefing. “It will bring massive storm surge, high winds and severe flooding as it moves across the state of Florida.”

As of Wednesday morning, Milton was a strong Category 4 storm. It is expected to make landfall late Wednesday night or early Thursday between Tampa and Fort Myers, according to meterologists.

“You need to prepare for catastrophic impacts,” Criswell said, directing her message to Floridians in the path of the hurricane. “This is going to be a serious storm, one that could forever change communities that are still covering from [Hurricane] Helene. Please continue to listen to your local officials and seek safety immediately. We do not need to lose any lives as a result of this storm.”

Criswell was speaking from North Carolina amid ongoing recovery efforts there following Helene. She said she would arrive in Florida later Wednesday “so I can be side by side with the governor and his team to ensure seamless support for the state.”

The FEMA head said she has been in contact with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and tribal leaders to ensure they have resources needed to save lives. 

Criswell added there were already more than 1,000 FEMA workers in Florida handling recovery efforts from Helene and past hurricanes.Twelve hundred search-and-rescue personnel, as well as other employees from across the federal government, are being brought in, she added.

“I want the people to hear it from me directly: FEMA is ready,” she said. “Our agency is postured to respond to this storm and help the state of Florida.”

Criswell stressed that FEMA’s efforts in Florida “are not taking away from the ongoing, complicated response and recovery we are still working in the aftermath of Helene,” she said.

Asked several questions about hurricane misinformation being spread, Criswell said her agency must remain focused now on helping people.

One false claim has said FEMA lacks the money needed to respond to Milton. Criswell said the agency has the funding and resources needed to handle both Milton and Helene, but she added the agency might need to approach Congress sooner than expected to ask for additional money to replenish its disaster relief fund.

Meanwhile, DeSantis on Wednesday listed the ways the Florida government is gearing up for Milton, including by deploying 6,000 National Guard troops from Florida and 3,000 more from other states. He said the National Guard search-and-rescue mobilization will be the largest in state history.

Other steps being taken include evacuating 16 hospitals and having more than 50,000 utility workers ready to restore power as quickly as possible.

DeSantis said residents in evacuation zones, as of late Wednesday morning, still had time to leave and that highways were “flowing.” But he warned that conditions on the road will steadily deteriorate and suggested that people considering relocating to shelters in their home counties.