Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a state of emergency Friday for 24 counties — including much of the greater Tampa Bay region — as Tropical Depression Nine is poised to approach the state as a potential major hurricane next week.
DeSantis also requested a federal pre-landfall emergency declaration ahead of the storm, according to a news release.
“Today, I signed an Executive Order issuing a State of Emergency due to the threat of Tropical Depression Nine,” DeSantis said in the release. “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.”
The emergency declaration would allow for funds to be made available, as well as the Florida National Guard to be activated and on stand-by.
The state of emergency includes Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Sarasota, Manatee and Polk counties, as well as coastal counties and inland areas of South Florida.
As of Friday afternoon, the storm — which could become Hurricane Ian — was located around 1,000 miles southeast of Havana, Cuba. Forecasters with the National Hurricane Center say the storm will intensify as it approaches Cuba and is expected to become a major hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph in the Gulf of Mexico by Tuesday.
