Governor DeSantis Declares State Of Emergency For 24 Florida Counties

Governor DeSantis declares state of emergency for 24 Florida counties in preparation for Tropical Storm Hermine. All eyes are on the tropics as we prepare for some wild weather in the middle of next week. DeSantis has also requested a federal emergency declaration be declared ahead of landfall to free up resources.

DeSantis stated "This storm has the potential to strengthen into a major hurricane and we encourage all Floridians to make their preparations. We are coordinating with all state and local government partners to track potential impacts of this storm."

It's not a hurricane yet, but experts think it may have the potential to strengthen by next week. Because the forecast track is uncertain, Gov. DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for the following counties:

• Brevard
• Broward
• Charlotte
• Collier
• DeSoto
• Glades
• Hardee
• Hendry
• Highlands
• Hillsborough
• Indian River
• Lee
• Manatee
• Martin
• Miami-Dade
• Monroe
• Okeechobee
• Osceola
• Palm Beach
• Pasco
• Pinellas
• Polk
• Sarasota
• St. Lucie

As of 5p.m. the storm has shifted West, covering the entire state of Florida in the cone of uncertainty.

We’ll keep you updated all weekend… save our Storm Center page in your browser’s favorites to stay informed online.

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It's not a hurricane yet... but Tampa area meteorologists are pretty confident it will be. All eyes are on the tropics as we prepare for some wild weather in the middle of next week. While the experts are still saying things could change, it's becoming clear that all of Florida needs to keep an eye on this one. Here are the newest reports from Tampa area weather experts on the track, timing and potential impact for our area next week based on data readings that came in this morning.