With what the National Hurricane Center currently calls Invest 93L expected to intensify into at least a tropical storm and potentially Hurricane Idalia, Gov. Ron DeSantis Saturday declared a state of emergency for 33 counties in preparation.
Those counties do not include Osceola -- but close.
Polk is among the counties, along the Gulf Coast, Big Bend and mid-Panhandle that includes 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, Sarasota, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, and Wakulla Counties.
“I signed an Executive Order issuing a state of emergency out of an abundance of caution to ensure that the Florida Division of Emergency Management can begin staging resources and Floridians have plenty of time to prepare their families for a storm next week,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “I encourage Floridians to have a plan in place and ensure that their hurricane supply kit is stocked.”
Computer models -- the National Hurricane Center hasn't even began issuing advisories yet -- forecast what is currently Invest 93L to be near Florida's Big Bend or Panhandle by Wednesday. But wet, windy, squally weather should begin to affect our area sometime Tuesday.
To find resources to help you and your family prepare for this storm, you can visit floridadisaster.org/planprepare.
