DeSantis declares state of emergency ahead of storm

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order on Monday as the state braces for a potential strike by a hurricane.

The National Hurricane Center is now issuing advisories on Potential Tropical Cyclone No. 9, which could become Helene later in the week. The storm is predicted to form east of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and cross the Yucatan Channel between the peninsula and Cuba into the Gulf of Mexico.

The Hurricane Center is predicting that the storm could make landfall between Destin and Cedar Key as soon as Thursday and could be a Category 2 or stronger storm with winds of 110 mph or greater.

"I have issued Executive Order 24-208, declaring a state of emergency in 41 counties in Florida that could see potential impacts from the storm and directing Florida agencies to prepare as necessary," DeSantis said in a post to X. "We will continue to monitor the storm's path and keep Floridians updated. Now is the time to make an emergency plan, know your evacuation zone, and be as prepared as possible for the storm."

The counties covered by the order include Alachua, Bay, Bradford, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Columbia, Dixie, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Monroe, Okaloosa, Pasco, Pinellas, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Wakulla, Walton and Washington.