Presidential candidate and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency over the weekend for 33 counties in his state due to an impending Tropical Storm brewing in the Gulf of Mexico.
The storm, Invest 93L, is expected to strengthen into a full-blown tropical storm within the coming days, prompting DeSantis to take preemptive action by issuing an executive order that will help ensure Florida’s communities are prepared for what could be a dangerous weather event.
DeSantis encouraged all Floridians to have a plan in place and make sure their hurricane supply kit is stocked accordingly.
He also noted how the forecast currently places the storm making landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast sometime early-to-mid next week with potential for heavy rainfall, strong winds and even isolated tornadic activity.
By declaring this state of emergency now, resources can be staged properly so that when/if the storm does arrive it won’t catch anyone off guard or unprepared.
The 33 counties included in this declaration cover most of Florida’s 67 counties and include: Alachua, Bay, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf Hamilton, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Wakulla.
With much of the East Coast spared from cyclones thus far this year so far – though that could change soon – there was still plenty of damage done out west where Tropical Storm Hilary caused flooding, mudslides and road closures throughout Mexico California Nevada and points further north earlier this month.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently predicted that 2023 would see more than its share of storms due to extremely warm ocean temperatures during hurricane season which runs through November 30th with August/September being peak months for activity.
