TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A day after declaring a state of emergency in 41 Florida counties, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced at a news conference Tuesday at the Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee that he had increased the number to 61, including all counties in Northeast Florida.
The only four counties not currently under a state of emergency are in southeast Florida, DeSantis said.
A system brewing in the Caribbean became Tropical Storm Helene on Tuesday, and is expected to become Hurricane Helene as it moves north through the Gulf of Mexico.
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The system could quickly develop into a major Category 3 storm before it makes landfall along Florida’s Panhandle.
DeSantis pointed out that the National Hurricane Center was already forecasting a potential major hurricane, even though the storm has not yet formed.
The system is expected to move swiftly through the Gulf of Mexico before directly impacting Florida’s Gulf Coast.
DeSantis emphasized that Floridians shouldn’t focus too much on the storm’s “cone” because areas well outside the direct cone will likely feel the impacts of Helene.
DeSantis encouraged Floridians to take advantage of this time to review and execute their hurricane plans, including filling up gas tanks, cleaning up any yard debris, gathering supplies and knowing their evacuation zone.
“Hide from the wind, but run from the water,” DeSantis said.
Floridians can get information on available shelters at www.floridadisaster.org/planprepare/shelters/. Not every shelter is pet friendly but at least one shelter in every county will be pet friendly, DeSantis said.
DeSantis warned that it’s possible anyone within 200 miles of the storm’s direct impact could see high winds that cause power outages.
“We are anticipating impacts 100 or 200 miles outside of the eye of the storm you could see with winds, and you could see with surge,” Desantis said.
Thousands of National Guard members and State Guard members are ready to deploy to aid impacted areas, DeSantis said. Cecil Field in Jacksonville is among three logistical staging areas for the state.
DeSantis also encouraged Floridians to heed any evacuation orders and to keep in mind that they don’t necessarily need to leave their county to evacuate, as long as they are in an approved hurricane shelter or can stay with a friend or family member who is not in an evacuation zone.