FLORIDA – Governor Ron DeSantis extended the state of emergency to 51 counties ahead of Hurricane Milton.
The state of emergency now includes all Northeast Florida counties.
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Here is the full list of counties: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie Sumter, Suwanee, Taylor, Union, and Volusia counties.
Sunday at 2 p.m., the National Hurricane Center upgraded Milton to a category 1 with winds clocking in at 80 mph, movement east at 6 mph, located 815 miles from Tampa.
On the forecast track, Milton is forecast to move across the Gulf of Mexico and approach the west coast of the Florida Peninsula by midweek.
During a news conference Sunday morning, DeSantis said he directed state personnel and other resources to help local entities as they continue to clean up and dispose of debris left behind by Hurricane Helene. He also said he sent multiple high-water rescue vehicles to Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, where current models predict the storm will make landfall.
For more information on how to prepare for Milton visit this website.