storm as it moves forward on its collision course with florida's gulf coast. now, it is expected to explode in intensity over the coming hours and make landfall overnight. it's safe to say that people living in that big bend area of florida, they have never lived through a hurricane like this. it is expected to bring a storm surge of up to 15 feet on top of powerful winds and excessive rainfall. places like fort myers beach are already experiencing flooding. that area is still recovering from hurricane ian that landed last fall. florida's governor, ron desantis, who is urged people to evacuate. he is warning that the damage here could be severe. >> you really have got to go back to the late 1800s to find a storm of this magnitude that will enter where this one looks like it is going to enter tomorrow. so we don't really have a historical analog in anybody's memory, so it is likely to cause a lot of damage. >> joining us now is cnn senior