This morning, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis provided updates on Hurricane Idalia at the State Emergency Operations Center with Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) Executive Director Kevin Guthrie, FDOT Secretary Jared W. Perdue and Major General John Haas. As the storm approaches, landfall is expected early Wednesday morning with evacuation orders being called across 22 counties. The Governor also expanded the Executive Order to include three additional counties, bringing the total to 49 counties under a state of emergency. Full remarks can be found here.
FDEM has launched the State Assistance Information Line (SAIL), a toll-free hotline activated at the time of an emergency to provide an additional resource for those in Florida to receive accurate and up-to-date information regarding an emergency or disaster situation impacting the State of Florida. Residents can call the SAIL hotline at 1-800-342-3557.
Today, Tropical Storm Idalia has strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane. It is predicted to rapidly intensify into a major hurricane. Life-threatening storm surge and dangerous winds are becoming increasingly likely for portions of Florida’s Gulf Coast.
As of 11 a.m. EDT, Tropical Storm Idalia is located approximately 120 miles west of the Dry Tortugas. Idalia has maximum sustained winds of 85 mph and is forecast to have the greatest impact to the state during the overnight hours of Tuesday through Wednesday afternoon.
Storm surge watch is in effect along the Gulf Coast from the Charlotte/Sarasota County border to the Collier/Monroe County border, including Charlotte Harbor.
Storm surge warning is in effect along the Gulf Coast from the Charlotte/Sarasota border to the Franklin/Gulf County border, including Tampa Bay.
Tropical storm watch is in effect for inland Collier and the Lower Keys.
Tropical storm warning is in effect for Baker, Bradford, Brevard Charlotte, Clay, coastal Collier, DeSoto, Duval, inland Franklin, Flagler, Gadsden, Gulf, Hardee, Lake, Lee, Leon, Liberty, Central and Eastern Marion, Nassau, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St, Johns, Union, Volusia, and inland Wakulla counties, as well as the Dry Tortugas.
Hurricane watch is in effect for Eastern Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Leon, central Marion, Sarasota, Union, and inland Wakulla counties.
Hurricane warning is in effect for western Alachua, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, coastal Franklin, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Manatee, western Marion, Pasco, Pinellas, Sumter, Suwanee, Taylor, and coastal Wakulla counties.
Floridians are encouraged to monitor weather conditions and listen to all orders from local officials, as well as have emergency contact lists updated and important documents backed up and stored in a waterproof protective container.
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