Gov. Ron DeSantis warns of ‘significant’ impacts from Helene in Florida

Gov. DeSantis news conference ahead of storm

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke at the Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee on Tuesday, with the state expected to feel strong storm impacts this week.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Gov. Ron DeSantis is urging Floridians to be prepared for strong storm impacts from Tropical Storm Helene, which is expected to hit Florida as a hurricane this week.

The governor declared a state of emergency for 41 counties on Monday, then expanded the declaration to 61 counties on Tuesday.

Speaking at a news conference in Tallahassee on Tuesday, DeSantis said the state has requested a pre-disaster emergency declaration from FEMA. The federal agency has activated its National and Regional Response Coordination Centers and Incident Management Assistance Teams.

Thousands of Florida National Guard soldiers, along with the Florida State Guard, have been activated.

READ: Your guide to hurricane season 2024

The governor warned the storm is expected to be big, leading to impacts more than 200 miles from the eye.

"You can be out of the cone and still have major impacts," DeSantis said, mentioning the Tampa Bay area specifically.

A hurricane watch is in effect along the Gulf Coast from Englewood to Indian Pass, with tropical storm watches extending along the southwestern and northwestern coasts of Florida.

A storm surge watch is also in effect for much of the Gulf Coast, including Tampa Bay, with heavy rainfall expected to lead to significant, life-threatening flooding.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Helene will strengthen before making landfall in the Big Bend area on Thursday, possibly as a major hurricane. The track could still shift to the west or east, however, which would lead to changes in storm impacts.

Officials warned the storm could take a similar path to Hurricane Idalia in 2023 or Hurricane Debby in August of this year.

READ: Sandbag sites open across Bay Area in preparation for Tropical Storm Helene

State Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said rapid intensification is expected. He urged everyone in the potential path of the storm to have enough food and water to last at least seven days.

Guthrie also said evacuation orders are expected to begin for some areas late Tuesday into Wednesday, reminding everyone in those zones to follow any orders that come down.

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