TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – As Tropical Storm Ian is expected to gain strength in the Caribbean, potentially on track for landfall in Florida next week as a major hurricane, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Saturday expanded a previous executive order to declare a state of emergency statewide.
The previous EO, 22-218, applied to 24 of Florida’s 67 counties; out of the 10 counties in News 6’s designated market area, EO 22-218 included only Brevard, Osceola and Polk.
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“Because of the foregoing conditions, which are projected to constitute a major disaster, I declare a state of emergency exists in the State of Florida,” DeSantis stated in EO 22-219.
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The governor on Friday had also requested a federal, pre-landfall Emergency Declaration, adding the Florida State Guard would be on hand to respond. Should the renewed force be used in the event of a major hurricane, it would be its first such test.
“This storm has the potential to strengthen into a major hurricane and we encourage all Floridians to make their preparations. We are coordinating with all state and local government partners to track potential impacts of this storm,” DeSantis said.
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