State of Florida declares State Of Emergency over potential Hurricane Helene
More than 40 Florida counties are under a state of emergency as what could become Hurricane Helene brews in the western Caribbean.
"Now is the time to make an emergency plan," Gov. Ron DeSantis said in issuing the declaration Monday.
Have Evacuation Orders Been Issued?
While not an official evacuation order, authorities in Taylor County, Florida, warned residents to anticipate an eventual evacuation. “The Taylor County Sheriff's Office is anticipating issuing a Mandatory County Wide Evacuation Order Tuesday after the 11:15 am briefing with the National Weather Service,” the agency wrote on Facebook. “Please use this time to activate your evacuation plans and be ready to go. No shelters will be open in Taylor County due to the anticipated storm intensity.”
W?hat Florida Counties Are Under A State Of Emergency?
The state of emergency encompasses the majority of Florida's 67 counties, including the Panhandle, the Tampa Bay area and along the state's West Coast and many inland counties, too.
Counties covered by the declaration as of Monday evening were: 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.