Milton was upgraded to a tropical storm. Could it impact Asheville?

As cities in the southeastern United States slowly recover from Helene's destruction, another potential threat looms in the Gulf: Tropical Storm Milton.

Tropical Depression 14 quickly developed into Tropical Storm Milton over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico on Saturday and could become a major hurricane if it reaches Florida, the latest warning from the National Hurricane Center said.

Asheville, which is still recovering from flooding caused by Helene, is not at the center of the storm's track, according to the NHC's latest forecasts. However, they warn that dangerous conditions could exist in areas outside this zone. By Saturday afternoon, the center of the storm was forecast to reach coastal areas of South Carolina.

Here's a look at the approaching storm.

Milton could make landfall near St. Petersburg and Tampa late Tuesday or early Wednesday, USA Today reported.

Milton is expected to strengthen rapidly over the next 36 hours and could be at or near major hurricane strength (Category 3, 4 or 5) when it approaches the west coast of the Florida Peninsula midweek, bringing the risk of life-threatening impacts is bringing to parts of the state's west coast, the NHC said.