Hurricane Helene is expected to arrive as a Category 4 storm in Florida on Thursday, bringing tons of heavy wind and rain to the Sunshine State.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that Hope Florida would become a permanent component of the Florida Division of Emergency Management and take on a new name, “Activate Hope.”

With this hurricane season already breaking records, state and and local emergency management leaders are urging Floridians to start preparing now.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis discussed the state’s response to flooding in South Florida caused by intense rainfall from a tropical disturbance.

Twenty-one more Americans have been flown into Florida from Haiti in the state's second chartered flight out of the crisis-stricken Caribbean country.

Governor Ron DeSantis issued a proclamation Monday recognizing Feb. 5-9, 2024, as Florida Severe Weather Awareness Week.

The recovery process from the massive destruction of Hurricane Ian has been “nonstop, 7 days a week” and according to Florida Emergency Management Executive Director Kevin Guthrie, the job is far from over.

As for restoration following storm damage, Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie urges residents to remember to make safety the priority.

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After South Florida was hit by heavy flooding last week, state officials announced they are deploying over 500,000 gallons of fuel to the area to help those impacted.

Several flood barriers in Volusia County are scheduled to be taken down as sea turtle nesting season begins, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

Make Ends Meet newsletter for March 29

Florida’s emergency management team is set to present Gov. Ron DeSantis with damage assessments to be used as evidence to request major federal disaster declarations for public assistance and individual assistance in the wake of Hurricane Nicole.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management gave News 6 a look at the Volusia County coastline on Wednesday, nearly a week after Hurricane Nicole.

The director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management said his first glimpse of the damage along the Volusia County coastline was far worse than the TV news video and photographs presented.

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FDEM Director Kevin Guthrie urged Floridians to prepare for increased storm risks.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management is holding a news conference in Tallahassee.

Supply chain issues could impact how long it takes for power companies to restore electricity after a powerful storm hits Central Florida.

As hurricane season hits its peak, Florida’s top emergency manager is warning of the potential for major electrical problems after a storm hits.

A new donation portal opened for those impacted by tornadoes that touched down in southwest Florida last month.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday awarded $3.5 million to Union County to fortify its infrastructure.

Use this tool to calculate COVID-19 vaccination rates while planning a trip in the U.S.

Central Florida’s largest testing site at the Orange County Convention Center will officially close after serving Central Floridians and visitors since the last week of March of 2020.

After the U.S. lifted its pause on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the Florida Division of Emergency Management announced federally supported vaccination sites would resume the use of J&J vaccines starting Sunday morning.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management announced that federally-supported vaccination sites would resume using the one-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine starting Sunday.

FEMA-backed vaccination sites in Florida will once again administer the first shots of the Pfizer vaccine starting next week

The Florida Division of Emergency Management is working with FEMA-backed vaccination sites to once again offer the first doses of the Pfizer vaccine as Johnson & Johnson doses remain in limbo.

ORLANDO, Fla. – The federally-supported vaccine sites in Florida, including in Orlando, will continue to offer first dose coronavirus vaccines until April 7, the Florida Division of Emergency Management announced Monday. The FEMA-supported sites in Orlando at Valencia College as well as in Jacksonville, Tampa and Miami were set to begin administering only second doses of the vaccine but will continue to offer 500 first doses of the Pfizer vaccine per day from March 24 to April 7, according to a news release. Beginning April 7, these sites will only offer the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine through April 14. Satellite sites associated with each federally-supported hub site will continue only administering second dose shots between March 24 – April 14. The federally-supported sites were only supposed to be open for eight weeks.

All rights reserved)VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Some COVID-19 vaccine appointments have been pushed back in DeLand due to the winter storms across the country, according to Volusia County officials. The Florida Division of Emergency Management said 200,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine did not make it to the state on Tuesday. This delay caused Volusia County to make some changes to some vaccine appointments. Volusia County said anyone signed up for a first dose at the fairgrounds in DeLand on Thursday or Friday has been rescheduled for Feb. 23,25, or 26. [RELATED: Winter storm delays Florida’s shipment of 200,000 doses of Moderna vaccine][RELATED: Publix delays vaccine appointment portal reopening as snowstorm affects supply]

ORLANDO, Fla. – Due to the winter storms across the country, some COVID-19 vaccine appointments in Central Florida communities have been pushed back. The Florida Division of Emergency Management said 200,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine did not make it to the state on Tuesday. CasesThe Florida Department of Health reported 7,253 new cases on Wednesday, bringing the state’s overall total to 1,844,627 cases since the virus was first detected on March 1. HospitalizationsAs of Wednesday afternoon, there were currently 4,460 people with the virus hospitalized in Florida, according to the state Agency for Health Care Administration. VaccinationsThe Florida Department of Health recently began releasing a daily report on COVID-19 vaccines administered throughout the state.

ORLANDO, Fla. – A massive winter storm impacting a large portion of the United States and causing major travel issues delay shipments of coronavirus vaccines to Florida, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. The newspaper reported Monday that Jared Moskowitz, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said the state had been alerted about the delay. [TRENDING: Winter storm shuts down Fla. schools | Fla. man arrested in Capitol riot: I was following Trump’s orders | Shoe removed from 341-pound croc]AdIt’s not known how many doses will be affected and when deliveries will resume. The storm has sparked emergency declarations in Alabama, Oregon, Oklahoma, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi and Texas. A Florida school district was even forced to close due to icy road conditions.

(AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)ORLANDO, Fla. – After nearly three weeks of vaccinating residents and staff at Florida long-term care facilities, CVS and Walgreens will no longer be part of those inoculations, according to an update from the state Agency for Health Care Administration. CDR Health will now take over all vaccination appointments at facilities across the state, according to the AHCA update. Ron DeSantis said CDR Health was contracted because “time is of the essence” to vaccinate all 4,000 facilities. Anyone who already had their first vaccine from CVS Health prior to Jan. 23 will continue with CVS Health, according to Omnicare. If an appointment was scheduled after Jan. 23 CDR Health will be contacting facilities to re-schedule those appointments.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Brevard County is gearing up to begin administering COVID-19 vaccinations to people ages 65 and older, as well as health care workers who provide direct patient care. We are appreciative of @GovRonDeSantis and @FLSERT Director Jared Moskowitz, for their efforts to provide us with nearly 2,000 Pfizer vaccines. — Health First (@Health_First) January 8, 2021“Health First is honored to be able to continue to protect our community from COVID-19,” Health First Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Jeffrey Stalnaker said. Healthcare workers who sign up to receive a vaccine must bring a photo ID or healthcare badge for proof of identity. They should also include COVID-19 vaccine as the reason for their visit and fill in all of the required fields.

ORLANDO, Fla. – The nation is averaging 172,000 new coronavirus cases per day, nearly doubling since the end of October, according to Johns Hopkins University. Hospitalizations, deaths and the testing positivity rate are also up sharply as the nation approaches Thanksgiving. In Florida, where positive cases are nearly 1 million overall, long lines for coronavirus testing are expected to continue as millions prepare to travel for the holiday, according to emergency management officials. Below is information provided by the Florida Department of Health for Tuesday, Nov. 24. CasesThe Florida Department of Health reported 8,555 new cases on Tuesday, bringing the state’s overall total to 953,300 cases since March.

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Coronavirus testing will continue at the Volusia County Fairgrounds, according to county officials. County officials said the free testing at the Hester Building will now continue through Oct. 30. The extension was made possible after a decision from the Florida Division of Emergency Management, according to county officials. The site operates seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.A patient does not need to schedule an appointment, according to county officials. Volusia officials said no symptoms are required to get a test.

Florida will receive 400,000 rapid-test kits a week that can be used to detect COVID-19 infections at schools, senior centers and long-term care facilities, Gov. Molecular tests, such as RT-PCR tests, detect the virus' genetic material but can take from a day to a week to get the results. Antigen tests detect specific proteins on the surface of the virus and come back within 15 minutes. Nevertheless, DeSantis said Tuesday that he may use some of the rapid test kits coming to Florida to supplant PCR testing that the state is conducting, saying it would reduce costs by 75%. In all, DeSantis said Florida would receive 6.4 million rapid test kits under the federal government’s plan to provide more than 150 million kits across the nation.

DeLAND, Fla. The CDC is asking state officials to start preparing for a COVID-19 vaccine distribution as early as November, according to documents obtained by News 6. The documents shed more light on how the state is preparing to distribute a coronavirus vaccine. According to the documents, the CDC said limited vaccines may be available by early November. He adds it needs to be analyzed first to make sure a possible vaccine is safe and effective. According to the guidance, the CDC is asking state officials to identify critical populations to determine who would receive the vaccine first.

The Volusia County Fairgrounds will conduct viral and antibody testing on Sunday, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management. Individuals getting antibody testing will be required to get a nasal swab first, according to officials. Testing will be available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Appointments for viral testing are recommended and can be made online at www.doineedacovid19test.com/. Individuals must print and bring their test voucher and a picture ID with them on the day of their test.

ORLANDO, Fla. The Florida Division of Emergency Management announced state-supported drive-thru and walk-up coronavirus testing sites will temporarily close at 5 p.m. on Thursday as Tropical Storm Isaias approaches the state. State and County officials announced the following COVID-19 testing sites will temporarily close:The Orange County Convention CenterTesting through Orange County Health ServicesSaturdays scheduled testing at Winter Springs High School has been canceledState walk-up testing at Oviedo Home Depot will end at 5 p.m. on ThursdayThe outdoor sites are not capable of handling tropical-storm-force winds. The drive-thru and walk-up sites will reopen at the latest by 8 a.m. on Aug. 5, according to the department of health. The reopening of the testing sites all depends on what happens with the storm. The DOH said the sites will reopen when it is safe to do so.

Ron DeSantis said the Florida Division of Emergency Management is in the process of deploying 1,400 nurses to hospitals in the state. A more immediate concern than bed availability is ensuring hospitals have the medical personnel to staff the beds. @FLSERT is in the process of deploying 1,400 nurses to hospitals throughout the state. Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) July 21, 2020He said the state continues to monitor hospital bed availability. DeSantis said he wants to make sure hospitals have the medical personnel to staff the beds.

The Division of Emergency Management said in a tweet Thursday that it has been conducting biweekly testing at the Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee for several weeks. According to the Democrat article, 12 employees have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. “The EOC (Emergency Operations Center) is open, we’re operating,” Moskowitz said. Protocols have also been set up that will limit occupancy at the Emergency Operations Center if a hurricane threatens the state. More than 315,700 people in Florida have tested positive for the virus since March.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – The Orange County Convention Center COVID-19 antibody test site reached capacity Thursday morning, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management. Officials said swab testing for the coronavirus is still available. Antibody tests determine if someone has developed antibodies for the virus, which indicates they had COVID-19 at some point. The line for the testing site at the convention center began in the early hours Thursday morning. “We have six swab lanes and two antibody lanes and once those antibody tests have been exhausted for the day, we can convert them into swab lanes, so we actually have eight swab lanes that are up and running,” Jachles said.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management announced Wednesday that a new COVID-19 testing site would be opening at a Publix grocery store in Deltona.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida is kicking off its hurricane tax holiday this week as Floridians prepare for the storms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Craig Fugate, the former director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said despite the coronavirus, Floridians need to treat this year's hurricane season the same as years past. Fugate said you still need to have an evacuation plan and build a hurricane kit because the most important thing is being prepared. "Maybe have a bottle or two of hand sanitizer, have a little bit in your kit," Carter said. [RELATED: Save money on these items starting Friday during Florida’s hurricane sales tax holiday | Download News 6′s Hurricane Preparedness Checklist]He said you may also want to get gloves and masks.