Tropical Storm Milton was gaining speed and growing more powerful Sunday as it rolled through the Gulf of Mexico on a track that imperils areas of the Florida Peninsula still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Helene.

As of 5 a.m. Sunday, Hurricane Kirk was located about 1,270 miles west of the Azores moving north-northeast at 23 mph with sustained winds of 105 mph. That keeps Kirk a Category 2 hurricane, having lost steam since it reached Category 4 level earlier this week and becoming the season’s third major hurricane.

Gulf Coast residents who are still reeling from Helene are told to prepare for a ‘dangerous’ situation’ as Milton gathers strength.