The governor declares a state of emergency in 41 of Florida’s 67 counties.
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Scott L. Hall, USA TODAY
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
According to an executive order released Monday, Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for 41 of Florida’s 67 counties in advance of “potential Tropical Cyclone Nine.”
“There is a significant threat of storm surge, coastal flooding and erosion, heavy rainfall and flash flooding, and destructive winds along Florida’s Gulf Coast,” the order states. “Due to … Hurricane Debby, groundwater and river levels remain above normal in north and west central Florida, and the additional incoming heavy rainfall is likely to cause significant flooding.”
The state of emergency affects Alachua, Bay, Bradford, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Columbia, Dixie, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Monroe, Okaloosa, Pasco, Pinellas, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Wakulla, Walton and Washington counties.
If the system reaches sustained wind speeds of 63 km/h, it would develop into Tropical Storm Helene.
The National Hurricane Center issued its first warning on the system at 11 a.m. Eastern Time, along with tropical storm warnings and hurricane watches for parts of Mexico and Cuba.
Rapid intensification is possible, the center said, adding that models showed the system had the potential to develop into a major hurricane in the next 72 hours. A major hurricane is a Category 3 or higher storm with sustained winds of at least 111 mph (178 km/h).
And AccuWeather meteorologists predict the system could develop into a Category 3 hurricane before making landfall, possibly in the Florida Panhandle.
Declaring a state of emergency gives state and local governments significantly more flexibility to coordinate their emergency response organizations, ease restrictions, reduce red tape, and reallocate resources to respond rapidly to an immediate or ongoing threat that local services alone cannot handle.
More: What does it mean when the governor declares a state of emergency in Florida?
Stay tuned to Tallahassee.com for the latest information on this weather situation.
This story contains previously published information. Jim Rosica can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X: @Subscribe.
