TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency as a tropical wave, labeled Invest 97L, brews in the tropics.
Invest 97L could develop into at least a tropical depression by the weekend, prompting concerns about strong storms and flooding in the state.
“Based on meteorological reports, there is a significant threat of heavy rainfall over most of the State of Florida, with the possibility of at least 12 inches of rainfall over the next seven days...” DeSantis’ order reads. “Prolonged heavy rainfall will result in flash flooding, river flooding, coastal flooding, erosion, and gusty winds.”
[READ: What’s an invest? Here’s what to know]
As a result, the declaration placed the following 54 Florida counties under a state of emergency as of noon on Wednesday:
- ALACHUA
- BAKER
- BAY
- BRADFORD
- CALHOUN
- CHARLOTTE
- CITRUS
- CLAY
- COLLIER
- COLUMBIA
- DIXIE
- DUVAL
- ESCAMBIA
- FLAGLER
- FRANKLIN
- GADSDEN
- GILCHRIST
- GULF
- HAMILTON
- HERNANDO
- HILLSBOROUGH
- HOLMES
- JACKSON
- JEFFERSON
- LAFAYETTE
- LAKE
- LEE
- LEON
- LEVY
- LIBERTY
- MADISON
- MANATEE
- MARION
- MONROE
- NASSAU
- OKALOOSA
- ORANGE
- OSCEOLA
- PASCO
- PINELLAS
- POLK
- PUTNAM
- SANTA ROSA
- SARASOTA
- SEMINOLE
- ST. JOHNS
- SUMTER
- SUWANNEE
- TAYLOR
- UNION
- VOLUSIA
- WAKULLA
- WALTON
- WASHINGTON
To stay up to date on the latest developments in the tropics, be sure to check back regularly with News 6′s Hurricane page.
The full executive order has been attached to this story and can be read in the media viewer below.
EO-24-156 by Anthony Talcott on Scribd