Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed an executive order on Tuesday night declaring a state of emergency for 25 counties as Tropical Depression 9 tracks toward the state’s northwest region. State emergency response teams are actively mobilizing resources ahead of potential landfall, with meteorological models pointing to a system that could intensify into a hurricane before reaching the Florida panhandle.
Targeted Counties and Staged Resources
The emergency declaration covers a broad swath of the state’s northern communities. The state of emergency is in effect for Baker, Bay, Calhoun, Columbia, Dixie, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Suwannee, Taylor, Walton, Wakulla, and Washington counties.
To prepare for the incoming severe weather, emergency management officials began staging critical assets on Tuesday. Supplies including fuel, generators, flood barriers, pallets of water bottles, tarps, sandbags, and shelf-stable meals are currently positioned in Leon and Santa Rosa counties. These supply hubs allow response teams to dispatch provisions directly to affected areas as soon as conditions permit.
“This order will allow the Florida Division of Emergency Management to stage critical preparedness resources and ensure Florida is ready to respond,” Governor Ron DeSantis said in a news release.
Anticipated Weather Impacts Across North Florida
Forecasters anticipate that the system’s hazards will reach far beyond the exact point of landfall. The state warns residents to prepare for heavy rainfall, strong winds, coastal flooding, and isolated tornadoes across North Florida.
Recent weather patterns compound the current threat. Additional precipitation risks further saturating already heavy soils, elevating the potential for flash flooding across regions that recently experienced significant rainfall.
“This order ensures communities have the time and resources necessary to prepare for potential severe weather impacts to the Panhandle and Big Bend region of Florida,” DeSantis said on X.
State officials urge residents within the emergency zone to review their disaster plans and ensure their hurricane supply kits are fully stocked by visiting FloridaDisaster.org.
