Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a state of emergency for 25 counties in response to Tropical Depression Nine, which formed in the Gulf on Tuesday.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. —
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order on Tuesday, Oct. 6, declaring a state of emergency for 25 counties after Tropical Depression Nine formed in the Gulf on Tuesday afternoon.
Baker, Bay, Calhoun, Columbia, Dixie, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Suwannee, Taylor, Walton, Wakulla, and Washington counties, which are along Florida’s Panhandle and Big Bend regions, are under the state of emergency declaration.
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“Today, I signed an Executive Order issuing a state of emergency ahead of potential impacts from Tropical Depression 9. This order will allow the Florida Division of Emergency Management to stage critical preparedness resources and ensure Florida is ready to respond,” DeSantis said in a statement. “Floridians should take this time to get disaster plans in place and ensure their hurricane supply kit is stocked.”
The governor’s office noted that DeSantis and the Florida State Emergency Response Team are currently taking precautions to ensure Florida remains prepared for potential impacts of the tropical system.
As of the 5 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Tropical Depression Nine is in the southwestern Gulf with 35 mph maximum sustained winds and is moving east at 5 mph.
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The National Hurricane Center forecasts that the storm will make a northeastern turn.
Tropical-storm-force winds may be felt between Florida’s Big Bend region west along Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana’s Gulf Coast regions as early as Thursday night or Friday morning.
As of Tuesday night, Tropical Depression Nine is forecast to develop into a tropical storm on Wednesday and may become a Category 1 hurricane as early as Thursday night.
If Tropical Depression Nine obtains tropical storm status, it will be named Isaias.
The governor’s office said for more resources on how to prepare ahead of the storm, visit FloridaDisaster.org.
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