TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis on Saturday expanded the state of emergency to 51 counties, including all of Central Florida, as what’s since become Hurricane Milton makes its way toward the state.
Sunday, Gov. DeSantis announced he had expanded the state of emergency to 51 counties.
“Because of the foregoing conditions, which are projected to constitute a major disaster, I declare that a state of emergency exists in 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,” the original order which listed 35 counties read.
DeSantis said he has directed the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the Florida Department of Transportation to coordinate all available personnel and resources to help communities as they expedite debris removal in impacted areas from Hurricane Helene which made landfall in Florida less than 10 days ago.
Milton is forecast to strengthen into a Category 3 hurricane bringing the risk of life-threatening impacts to portions of Florida’s Gulf coast next week, according to the NHC.
The NHC expects it to remain over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico through Sunday night, then move across the south-central Gulf of Mexico on Monday and Tuesday before approaching the west coast of Florida by midweek.