Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency Saturday in 35 counties across the state ahead of strengthening Tropical Storm Milton. DeSantis expanded the emergency declaration Sunday morning to include 54 counties. Some of the areas were severely impacted by Hurricane Helene less than 2 weeks ago.
The governor urged residents of the entire Gulf Coast of Florida to begin preparations and evacuation routes. Milton, which could evolve into a Category 3 hurricane by the time it makes landfall, is going to be a major challenge for many communities that just endured Helene.
Local counties include Citrus, Lake, Marion, Putnam and Sumter.
“For these communities that have already been hit, it’s not easy,” DeSantis said. “But we’ll get through it.”
