ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for Tampa Bay-area counties ahead of possible impacts from a tropical system.
The governor issued an emergency for 33 counties in preparation for Tropical Storm Idalia, which is forecast to bring storm surge, heavy rainfall, strong winds and isolated tornadic activity.
“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,” DeSantis said in a statement.
“I encourage Floridians to have a plan in place and ensure that their hurricane supply kit is stocked.”
Tropical Storm Idalia formed Sunday morning afternoon near the southern Gulf of Mexico — and it won't be long before it becomes a hurricane and impacts Florida.
For the most up-to-date information about the tropics, click here.
The following counties are under a state of emergency:
- 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
- Polk
- Sarasota
- Sumter
- Suwannee
- Taylor
- Wakulla